Messenger
by Soccer Monkey 16
Summary: AH, 1700’s: When Bella works as Tanya’s servant to send messages of love to Duke Edward, sparks fly. Yet the love between their ranks is forbidden, and in this world, not many people can have a fairytale ending. Can it all work out in the end? M for rape
1. Promotion

**Yay! Hooray! This is a story heavily influenced by William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Of course, if you have read that story, not all is revealed about this one. And so, with no more word on the subject, onto my second fanfic!**

**Disclaimer for the WHOLE story: I do not own anything Twilight. There. I said it.**

**Bella**

I live in the household of my lady, Miss Tanya. I am a servant; I am not recognized, nor do I wish to be. My life is filled with boring activities that I repeat every day: scrubbing the floors, picking fruits off the trees, tending to the fireplace, welcoming guests, and helping out in the kitchen – the latter was my favorite and, luckily, the most frequent. I spent most of my time in the kitchen with Cook. I loved to cook and I was quite good at it. I was just happy that my clumsiness didn't apply in the kitchen.

My Lady is a countess, and a beautiful one at that. She has light blonde hair that shines in the sunlight and her blue eyes would twinkle when she was happy. Of course, I rarely ever saw her happy – she would normally see me when she was angry at me for doing something wrong. But she was sensitive enough not to yell for too long, and she praised us when she thought we did well. She was overall a great person.

Many of the men in the kingdom pined for her love. But she would not give it to them. For her heart had been snatched by Sir Edward, a very wealthy duke who lived not two miles away. I had heard brief conversations about Tanya's love life passed around by the gossiping servants, but I did not care, and I did not listen.

I sometimes listened to the stories of Sir Edward, however. I couldn't help myself. The tales were captivating, and they described the duke as noble, brilliant, handsome, and courageous. Of course, a man like that didn't exist; a man like that couldn't exist. There was no way that anyone could be so perfect.

My daydreaming shifted from Sir Edward to my brother, and I realized that I had been wrong on my assumption. My brother, caring Jasper, had been perfect in every way. He was two years older, and very protective. It was he that I always looked up to; it was he whom I adored.

He was very handsome; his blond hair was slightly curly and he was of a muscular build. He was tall, yet not towering, and it just added to his looks. I was sure that if he had not been of my blood, I – like most of the girls on our street – would have fallen head-over-heels for him at first sight.

Anytime something put me in danger, he was there. Whether a boy who lived close had seen me walking down the street and was too forward or I fell and hurt myself, Jasper was always there. He would give me a hug and let me stain his shirt with tears. It usually caused some amount of his work to go undone, but he never complained, used it as an excuse to get away, or brought it back up later.

And he had been ever so caring. If I needed to vent about something that had gone wrong, he listened to my shouting without showing any sign of boredom, and always offered advice. Whenever I had caught a glimpse of a boy while going to buy bread in the village center or just walking up the street to ask our neighbor if she could spare a potato, he would sit patiently while I cooed over them.

I had loved him so much.

But two years ago, our parents had passed away from a sickness that had spread around in our area, and we were split up. I was able to gather many of my belongings and they were here with me, but many things were left to my brother, who could afford work and would be able to keep them for some use, if not just for sentimental value. Now, my mother's necklace and my father's pocket watch were all I had left of them. A tear rolled down my cheek at the thought.

It was then that I had winded up here, in the care of my lady, who took me in kindly. And so I am here now, in my bed chambers – which I share with two other maids, Marie and Sophia – day dreaming about my lovely brother.

I heard a light bell tinkle, and my lady calling my name softly. I almost sprinted down the marble stairs, my hand lightly grazing the wooden banner; Miss Tanya would get impatient and irritated when her servants were slow, and when she was in that mood, she was not a woman to cross.

"Yes, Miss," I addressed her once I came through the doorway and then kneeled at her feet.

"You may rise," she allowed, and I gladly got to my feet. "Young Bella, I have been watching the servants from afar. Do not think that I haven't known of the gossip and rumors that go around my house. So many people have broken my trust as I watched them pass around those secrets that I had confided in them to keep.

"But, while watching them, I have seen you. Not a word passes through your lips, and your ear rarely comes close to anyone else's. With that, I believe that you would be able to keep my secrets. I need a servant to confide in, for nobody else will listen to me, and I can't have my emotions bottled up. So, I must ask, will you be that servant? Will you be the bottle of my emotions, and perhaps the messenger of them from me to Edward?"

Miss Tanya was one of the few people in the kingdom that used servants as messengers.

I was at first shocked – my lady had started her demands, not to mention demanded them, so quickly. Usually people warmed up to these things. But, in a weird way, the fact that Miss Tanya knew that I would understand if she just got to the point made me happy.

The thought of promotion overjoyed me. It would mean that I would – hopefully – get better food and care. And for once, I would get out of the house. Even if it was for something as small as delivering a message, I would be free. The thought made me brim with happiness. The only words that I could get out were, "Yes, my lady. I would be honored."

And I was. Never before had my spirits been so lifted.

"When must I start?" It seemed silly, to ask when to start listening to people tell you their secrets. But, apparently, that was my job. That was what I did.

"Tomorrow. My emotions have been kept to myself for five days now, longer than ever before. I can only contain myself for another day." I wasn't quite sure what to think about that. _Only_ five days? I had kept my own emotions to myself for two years.

"As you wish, my lady."

Bright and early the next morning, I woke up and quickly scurried around to get dressed. Sophia stirred and, half awake, mumbled a question that sound like, "Wa 'r ooh oin u so erly?"

I had known her long enough to understand what she had said: What are you doing up so early? I looked over at her curled-up figure, her brown hair splayed across her face, and felt sorry for waking her up. But she seemed like she would be going back to sleep soon anyway.

"Reporting to Tanya," I answered to the barely awake Sophia. She just mumbled and sank back into sleep.

I reported to Tanya's chambers after I got dressed and sat in a squishy armchair while listening to her talk from the bed. She was brushing her hair for part of the morning, her long golden strands seeming to soften by each stroke of the brush. In the afternoon, she had lunch brought up to her room, and she enjoyed a large, filling meal while I nibbled on my sandwich.

I kept my ears opened wide, and my brain was soon filled with stories about Miss Tanya's feelings, and about Sir Edward.

The stories were even better that usual because they were coming from someone who had seen the duke with her own eyes. I heard of his eyes – green pools of color that would shine in the light. I heard of his smile – when it appeared on his face, your heart melted and you couldn't resist breaking into a smile of your own. I heard of his voice – as sweet as honey, and as smooth as velvet.

I listened in fascination as my lady went on, and the pictures in my head became clear. I couldn't imagine anyone more gorgeous.

At dusk, Miss Tanya asked me to light a candle and place it on the table. Its flame was bright enough to let us see most of the things clearly. The candle burned bright and I stared at it for a few seconds, and found my lady doing the same thing.

"It's brighter than most," she whispered. "Just like Edward. Though other men might be handsome, smart, and able to make you laugh, Edward outshines them all."

And she launched back into her stories once again.

X X X X X X X

After a few hours, my gaze drifted to the candle and found that it had burned down to a mere inch.

"My lady, I feel that I must go to sleep now. It is late, and you must be tired as well. Your stories are fascinating, and I will gladly listen to more tomorrow, but for now, I must retire. And, if I may be so bold to ask something of you, I must ask to borrow a candle to get back to my chambers."

"Of course." I was given a candle and a match that I quickly lit, and then walked briskly into my chambers.

Though it was ten o' clock at night, Marie was still awake, and she addressed me when I came in.

"Bella?"

"Yes?" I was quite tired, but I decided that I would be polite enough to listen to Marie.

"What did the lady want?" Marie's voice was edging with curiosity, and I was pretty sure that if I held off my answer, she would explode.

"Well, I am now what you could call…her…listener. I just listen to what she has to say. And she talks _a lot_, mostly about Sir Edward. One day, she said, I might become her messenger!" My voice broke through two octaves as I said the last sentence, and Sophia started to stir.

Marie's voice dropped to a low whisper. "Tell me."

"Sorry," was my only response, and I lay down on my cot to get some sleep. As Marie rolled the other way, a word escaped her lips that sounded a lot like "idiot".

**So now you know about Bella's life. Isn't it kind of sad? I mean, her parents died, she was torn away from her brother, and now she's living in a castle that doesn't treat her so well and she's a servant. And even in her thoughts, Bella addresses Tanya as "Miss Tanya". **

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please, drop me a review!**


	2. Errand

**Hey guys! Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! I am very happy right now! Might that have something to do with the fact that we were watching Beauty and the Beast in class? I have no idea. (Based off of that, I dare you to watch a Disney movie in a language you don't understand most of the time – we watched it in French. It's quite funny!). Anyway, thanks again. And no, Leah, I am NOT recognizing you. That was only written for your own selfish gain!**

**Bella**

For two months, I had been listening to all of Miss Tanya's blabbering about her feelings. For two whole months! It was the longest anyone had kept Tanya's interest, and I was glad. This could only mean that I would be treated with more respect.

Most of her sentences had the name Edward in it, or the pronoun 'he', referring to Edward. I had stopped being surprised about this after the third day.

And because of this, Edward invaded my thoughts every day and my dreams about twice a week. Because I had never seen him, I didn't know exactly how he looked, but my mind had formed its own image, and I knew that only the real thing could be more gorgeous.

I faintly remembered a snatch of my dream from last night.

_Edward had been riding with me on a powerful black steed until we reached his palace _– another thing I had created in my imagination – _He stopped at the stables near the gardens, and we walked hand in hand down the long row. He stopped at the very end, and opened the small door. Instead of a horse, there had been a beautiful dress._

_Instantly, I was wearing the dress and twirling around the dance floor with my Edward…_

I didn't remember anything after that, but I was sure that there was much, much more; Marie had endlessly teased me about sleep talking almost all night, but never about any horses or dancing.

I wasn't sure why I dreamed about the duke, but I was pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that Miss Tanya never ceased to talk about him. I was going a little crazy, but I was sure that it was only due to the way my lady had talked about him; if all you've known about something was portrayed through eyes that held deep love, that was the way your mind looked at it. I shook my head and sat up.

As I gazed out my window, I realized that I was probably a little bit late for Miss Tanya. I had better get going.

I raced down the stairs as soon as I felt somewhat presentable and rushed into my lady's sitting room. **(Did they use the word parlor yet?) **She had told me to meet her in there today. I found her sitting on a couch staring out the window – in the direction of Sir Edward's castle, no doubt.

She turned her head as she heard me run in.

"Sorry, miss," I gasped as I bowed my head and proceeded to rest on one knee. To my surprise, Miss Tanya laughed.

"Silly Bella. I don't care if you're a little late. Just never keep me waiting for half of an hour." Her eyes narrowed as she said this, silently telling me that she would be very, very mad if I did. "And I told you, call me Tanya. I feel too close to you for you to never address me by my name.

"Thank you." My face broke into a smile. "What topic will we be discussing today?"

My eyes twinkled, clearly stating that I was teasing her. She laughed again, the light sound ringing in my ears.

"Actually, you won't be listening to me at all today." My face surely looked confused, but inside, I also felt fearful. What if she was going to tell me that I had lost her trust, and that I would be just as ignored as before, or even kicked out?

But her face was still intensely happy, so I was confident that I wasn't in trouble.

"I hope you have been paying a fair amount of attention to my rambling for the past eight weeks." I nodded furiously at this, and she continued. "So I am sure that you realize everything I feel for Edward." Another nod. "And because of that, I am going to send you on a little errand.

"Usually I have my trusted servants running messages to Edward frequently, and shortly after I bring them close. I am sorry for not trusting you sooner, but the last couple of your little friends… Anyways! You have been around me long enough to understand the depth of my love for Edward, and so I ask you to carry a message of that to him. It will have to be improvised; I'm sure that you can weave my feelings into sentences much better than I could myself."

I nodded again. It sounded easy…enough. I was hoping I wouldn't make a fool of myself and not be able to create a message, but I was fairly sure that I would be able to.

"O-okay. Yes, of course. Anything you wish." I bowed my head.

As I did so, my gaze landed on my appearance.

"Will this be fine enough to walk through the town in?" I asked her.

"Of course. Not many people will pay attention to you, and there are other people that are dressed worse than you."

X X X X X X X

She wasn't even close to being correct. Almost everybody stared at me. They weren't used to seeing servants roaming the streets. Not many came out of their masters' houses often anymore.

Blush pooled heavily in my cheeks the whole way to the duke's palace, and I gazed at the ground the whole time.

Even doing so, I tripped a couple of times, only making me blush harder.

The walk took twenty minutes, and during that time, I thought of what I was going to say.

_My lady has found her whole soul inside of you. She knows that you're the only one she has loved and ever could love._

No, that didn't sound right. Perhaps I should deliver it as if I was quoting a message that she had repeated enough times to plant itself in my head.

_And her message states: 'Never has such a feeling run through me to my core. Only upon seeing you has my heart been so recklessly messed with, both swelling with love and broken when it wasn't returned.'_

Well, it was…better, for lack of a more suitable word. It still didn't completely feel right, but it fit better than the first time I tried.

After pondering what the contents of my message could possibly be, I found myself at the gate of the duke's palace. I looked up and gasped.

It was beautiful. The grand, white material that created the exterior rose three stories high, and ivory rose around the first story windows up to the ones on the second floor. The door was eight and a half feet tall, and the wood it was made out of was carved with intricate designs.

The path up to the door twisted the slightest bit and was surrounded by bushes and flowers of various beautiful colors. They were all beautiful.

A looked around for something that I could use to signal my arrival. At last I found it; a bell suspended by the post nest to the metal gate. A string hung from it, and I assumed that I had to pull it to ring the bell.

With a lump of fear in my throat, I pulled the string, announcing to everyone within hearing distance that I was here.

**Yay! The second chapter. Hopefully the next one won't take as long to put up. And I really hope you like it so far! Can you please drop a review? Thank you!**

**Now, where did I put that bar of chocolate...**


	3. Impressions

**Okay, well, here I am, all sick, and I'm updating! Can't you at least be happy that I'm not sleeping instead of writing? And, just so you know, this chapter does not have anything but first impressions of appearance. Well, not much anyway. But we do get to meet Edward's butler! They did call them butlers back then, did they not? Hee. Well, on with the chapter!**

**Bella**

It had been three minutes since I had rang the bell, and already I was becoming irritated. I stood impatiently, fidgeting with my sleeves and tapping my foot. I glanced at the door through the gates every thirty seconds, glaring when, in four more minutes, nobody had emerged. I was beginning to think that I should just turn around and leave.

A minute later, though, I let out a sigh of relief when the door opened. A man, probably in his early thirties, stepped out. His hair was brown, as were his eyes. He was muscular, but only slightly in the arms. I was sure he wouldn't be able to take a hit. His stomach bulged out a little, too.

If this was the duke, Tanya had been crushing on a man way too old – and not good enough in my opinion – for her. If this was the duke, Tanya had been exaggerating a _lot_.

I noticed though, that he didn't wear the clothes of an extremely high status. Yet he was not, in any way, close to looking like a servant. I figured he must be the butler **(Again, did they call them that back then? I would have to say that this was in about the late 1600's)**. I had no other answer.

"Hello," he sneered as he took in my appearance. I gathered that he did not act kindly to those of a lower ranking. But I answered back politely anyway.

"Hello. I am here to deliver a message."

"To whom, may I ask?" He seemed to ask this question to be polite, and only for the fraction of a chance that it was not for the person he thought it was for. He seemed to already know.

"The duke." He snorted at this and muttered "figures" under his breath. It made me wonder how many other servants Tanya had deliver messages to the duke…and how many were sent away in the failed attempt.

The butler took in my appearance once more and walked back through the door. I could only hope that he wasn't sending for anyone to throw me out.

Once again, I became impatient. My foot resumed its tapping and I started to squirm. Waiting was not my specialty.

As I stood there, a figure started to come closer, but not from the door. It seemed to come from the gardens, and as I watched, I saw that it was another servant, like me. But this one was a boy.

As he walked closer, I took in his appearance. He was not what I expected at all. Although, to be truthful, I hadn't known what I was expecting.

He had blond hair, sticking up from some task that he had just previously finished. He had bright blue eyes, and his face brightened when he saw me; I was another servant to talk to. He _was_ kind of cute, but I couldn't help compare him to the duke in my dreams. Compared to that, he was nothing.

"Hello," he greeted me, a smile on his face. "I'm Mike. Who might you be?" A twinkle played in his eye, and I felt the urge to shudder.

"Isabella," I informed him, wincing at my full name. "But please, call me Bella. And it's nice to meet you, Mike."

His grin widened at my statement, and his face turned childish. "You know, you're really pretty."

His face didn't seem ashamed, and I wondered if he didn't care about being blunt. Apparently it wasn't considered somewhat rude to _him_. I felt a pool of blush rush to my cheeks, and I was sure that they were turning pink.

I smiled back at him. "Thank you."

"Well," he began, his face turning into a frown, "I really should get going. I have to complete Tyler's errand. He's too lazy to do anything himself." He rolled his eyes at that. "I'll see you around."

"Sure." I bit my lip as I watched him walk away. At least he would be one person that could make my trips here – which would definitely be happening – bearable. That is, if the duke wasn't the type of person that I liked.

As soon as Mike was gone, I became lonely and impatient once more. I wasn't becoming any happier, and my lips pulled into a frown. I wasn't going to wait outside all day.

After what seemed like hours, another man emerged, this time from the door.

As he walked towards me, all I could see at first was that he was well built, much more so than the butler or Mike. He carried himself with importance. He walked down the path with pride. His hair wasn't brown, but it wasn't quite orange either. I decided that it was bronze.

And then, as he stopped five feet away from me, I worked hard to stifle a gasp. His face was flawless, all his features perfect. His hair, which I had recently been studying, was messy, not at all fixed to look proper like most of the noble men. His skin was a tiny bit pale, and you could see his muscles beneath it. His lips were just the shape for his face, and light enough so as to not stand out. But that didn't mean they didn't to me.

Lastly, I looked into his eyes, and it took even more restraint to breathe normally. They were light, depthless pools of green. They reminded me of emeralds, yet brighter and, somehow, more beautiful. They sparkled in the light and captured me in their gaze. My knees went weak, and I couldn't look away.

But he looked down to unlock the gate, and I was then able to tear my gaze away. Although I wished I were able to gaze into his eyes all day, I would be mortified if he caught me staring. I knew I was already blushing as it was.

The man opened the gate.

"Come in." He only spoke two small words, but they took my breath away. His voice was so smooth, so beautiful. It was irresistible, and all I wanted was to hear more.

And then it all clicked, and I knew.

This was the duke.

_This_ was Edward Cullen.

**Edward**

I stared at the pages of the novel I was reading, though I couldn't understand any of the words.

I was frustrated; for the past week, when I had sat down to play the piano, nothing came out right. It had _never_ been this way. I had always been able to use the piano to let out my feelings, each drop of emotion coming out in a note, a chord, a tune. But today, after failing once more, I had decided to just let it go for the time being. I was giving up.

I pounded my fist on the desk.

Just the, my butler, Spoden, walked in. I had never called him by his first name. He was always Spoden to me.

"Hello, Spoden," I greeted him, placing a bookmark in the volume I held and then shutting it with a _thump_.

"Good day, Sir," he responded in a bored voice. "There is a girl at the gate who insists she must deliver a message to you. I strongly believe she is one of Tanya's servants."

I sighed. At least twice a week, Tanya sent one of her servants to deliver a message to me. The messenger usually changed every two or three weeks. After a while, she had stopped sending them, and I had gained hope that she would stop her useless attempts to make me love her. I was sadly wrong.

I wondered for a second if Tanya had sent a different girl this time or if it was the same one as last time. I really hoped it wasn't the latter; the last girl had shamelessly flirted with me every time she caught a glimpse of me.

I reluctantly stood up from my comfortable chair and walked to the window. I pulled the mahogany curtains aside to peek through.

The girl on the other side of the glass was indeed wearing the dress of Tanya's servants, but the sigh I let out wasn't one of exasperation, but instead of longing and awe. From _here_ the girl looked beautiful.

I could see her brown hair blowing in the wind and her petite features made her look very soft, but in a good way. My eyes softened.

And then I watched as her head turned around and Newton, one of my servants, walked up to her. Anger coursed through my veins. Who was he to meet this mysterious beauty when I, master of this house, still had not?

As the figures behind the window began to speak, I saw the girl's cheeks turn pink. It was so very entrancing.

I decided that today I wasn't going to have Spoden send the messenger away like usual. Instead, I would personally walk to the gates and listen to my message for once.

"Shall I tell her to scram?" I turned slowly away from the window at the sound of Spoden's voice.

"No, no. I'll go out there myself. I might actually listen today." Spoden's eyebrows raised and his expression was shocked, but he didn't comment.

"If you wish." He looked almost…sympathetic. He turned around and walked back out the door. It appeared that was all he had to say.

I looked once again out the window at the strange girl. This time, she was tapping her foot, her arms crossed over her chest. I chuckled. She must not be very patient.

As entranced as I was by watching through the window, I wanted to see her more clearly, closer up. I dropped the curtains and strode quickly through the house and down to the door; I was afraid that if I wasn't quick enough, she'd leave and be gone forever.

But when I opened the door, she was miraculously still standing there, her face getting more impatient by the second. But then she saw me, and she stood still.

As I walked up the path, I almost stopped dead in my tracks. This girl wasn't, _couldn't be_, a servant.

Her shimmering brown hair flowed down to the middle of her back, and it shone in the afternoon sun. Her figure was flowing, soft. She had curves where they were supposed to be, something most of the ladies in this land yearned for. Her lips were pale and slightly smaller than perhaps they should've been.

And then, as I came closer, her eyes widened, and my breath caught. The orbs I was looking into were chocolate brown, and they were sparkling in a hypnotic way. I could swear they held a soul, and a beautiful one at that.

My heart pounded in my ears.

The messenger's eyes held my gaze and I had to remind myself not to start hyperventilating. I could barely look away when I finally tore my gaze down to the lock.

It pained me to look away. _But_, a voice in my head reminded me, _tearing your gaze away for a couple seconds will result in not having a barrier between you two._

_Stop!_ A second voice retorted. _She's only a servant! Don't let her have this effect on you! It's not right!_

I knew that the part of my brain that was telling me to get a grip on myself was right. Yet that didn't stop me from wondering how good she would taste as my eyes passed her lips as I looked up from the ground into her own eyes.

"Come in." I was ever so grateful that my voice didn't falter. I opened the gates for this lovely girl, and she stepped timidly, yet so gracefully through the gate.

I led the beautiful messenger back down the path. Once we got inside the house, I headed for the sitting room **(Once again, did they call it a parlor back then? Can someone please tell me?)**. I sat down and gestured for her to do the same.

"You had a message for me," I reminded her. She nodded a tiny nod, her face scrunching up in thought.

"Right." Her voice, just like her appearance, was so intensely beautiful. I longed to hear more.

"Well, it's from Miss Tanya," she informed me. I had already known that, but my face turned into a grimace once more anyway. After seeing my expression, her own became one of concern. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

I nodded slowly once. Anything to hear her voice again.

**Okay, if you are reading this, then I am doing one of three things; creating my poll, posting my poll, or waiting for you to review to my poll. And, if you want to know what that poll is, be quiet! Because I am now going to answer your question.**

**I am writing another story as well as this one, and I need to know which one you want to be my main focus. If you haven't read my other story, I ask you too, and I also ask for you not to vote in my poll if you haven't read both stories. Because then you might not have a true opinion. Who knows, you might like the other one better.**

**So, please go and vote in my poll, but before you do, can you drop in one little review? Please?**


	4. If I Loved You As She Did

**Okay, I know I haven't updated as soon as I should, but I have a reason. Sort of pathetic, but a reason nonetheless. First off, I was banned from the computer for a week. Of course, that does not give me total right to discard you; I could've written it somewhere else. But I did! Which brings me to reason number two: I have misplaced the notebook. I checked everywhere I thought it might be, but I couldn't find it. So hopefully enough of the first draft stuck with me to make this understandable. And now, without further adieu, the fourth chapter!!!**

**Bella**

I slowly sat down on the sofa, watching the duke out of the corner of my eye. Such beauty made my heart swell, and I was sure that if I was looking directly at him, I would fall. So I kept him in my peripheral vision.

But once I was seated, there was no reason to look away; I had to talk to him, and it would be rude to talk without making eye contact. But as soon as I did, my brain stopped working, and all I could see was his emerald eyes, looking straight into mine. I knew that this was silly, that I shouldn't be affected this way, but it seemed to be something more than a shock at his beauty that ran down to my core. If I didn't know any better, I would say that it was love at first sight.

No, that wasn't it. After all, I wasn't that kind of person, and that kind of thing was for fairytales. So why was it that I was so lost in the duke's gaze?

"You had a message for me," the duke prodded, bringing me out of my reverie. I blushed, knowing that I must've been staring like an idiot while the duke was politely waiting for his message.

"Right," I agreed.

My face scrunched up as I got lost in thought, not knowing what to say. In order to buy myself a little time - or perhaps even be able to walk out of the house without having to deliver any message - I brought up a new question, one that would hopefully make him push me away.

"Well, it's from Miss Tanya. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

_Please say no_, I chanted in my head, hoping more than anything that he would so that I wouldn't sound like an idiot trying to conjure up a message.

He nodded his head very slowly once.

Alright then. I would make up a message if I absolutely had to.

"This is not a regular message," I informed him. "It all comes from what I've learned of Tanya's love for you and how deep it is. It's more like an overview of everything we know, see, and hear." I took a deep breath.

"Tanya could not love you much more than she already does. Every time she talks about you when I'm there, her eyes melt and a small grin forms upon her lips. Every time she thinks about you, we all know, because she blushes for no reason that we can see and she has an extra spring in her step. Every time you reject her, the eyes that melted out of love melt into pools of tears. She looks devastated and all of us can almost hear her heart break. She loves you down to her very core. You would be lucky to have a woman who loves you like she does."

I took another deep breath after I finished and my eyes, which seconds before had been staring at my fingers, returned to Duke Edward's gaze. He seemed to contemplate for a moment, and then opened his mouth to speak.

What he said next surprised me.

"And what if you loved me like she does?"

I was momentarily speechless, not comprehending what he had just said. And then his words caught up to me, and I could not stop the words that flowed out of my mouth.

"If I love you as she did, I wouldn't be able to sit here, still and calm. I would be completely and totally devoting my attention to making sure that I didn't do anything sudden or bold. My heart would be pounding, and you would surely be able to hear it. I wouldn't be able to leave, and all I would be able to do would be to come closer."

I was frightened by the way the words so easily fell off of my tongue, seeming like they had been rehearsed many times. How had it happened?

"I know that." The duke let out a small sigh. "What I want to know is this: What would you do if you loved me as she did?

Once again, there was no hesitation before I spoke.

"I would be entirely devoted to making sure you were happy, but always trying to make it so that you were happy with _me_. I would not let one small detail about you slip out of my knowledge, just so that I would know _how _to make you happy. You would be the center of my universe, everything revolving around you. And I would not hesitate to give myself to you, or to give up my life for you. Would would _be_ my life. If I loved you as she did, I would do anything for your love."

My speech stopped, and, though I was embarrassed, the only emotion pulsing through my veins was fear. Fear because the words, the words which came so easily to me, were said with such emotion and sounded so true.

I looked up into the smoldering eyes of the duke. His lips almost seemed to curve up in a smirk, and his face looked as if he had just discovered the most precious treasure.

"Impressive," he murmured through his smiling lips, almost as if talking to himself.

"So you say that you have listened to Tanya enough to understand how much she loves me, and that little speech was a wrap-up of most of it?"

"Yes, sir." Maybe that was why what I said had come out so easily - the emotions had been expressed so frequently that they seemed natural.

"And yet, the words that you spoke were not Tanya's, but instead your own?" This caused me to blush, knowing that he had trapped me in a corner, not in a position to escape embarrassment. If I lied, he would know. I was a terrible liar. But if I told the whole truth, it might be even more humiliating.

"Yes, sir," I repeated, another blush rising toward my cheeks.

His eyes seemed to dance, another priceless treasure found. But I still had no idea what that fascinating treasure was.

His leaned his head to one side, seeming lost in thought, and then allowed, "You may go."

I stood up, and he with me. He escorted me to the door in a polite manner.

I turned at the doorway, not willing to go that very second.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he responded, and watched as I turned back to face the path, placing one foot down to step on the porch.

His hand grasped my wrist, and a wonderful feeling was sent through me, charged by shocking sparks. I felt immediately whole, and I spun slowly back to him with a smile on my face.

"What is your name?" He breathed. The sweet scent of his breath that was carrying his words lingered up into my nose.

"Bella," I whispered back, still lost in the overwhelming scent that seemed to surround me.

He released his grip on my wrist, taking the wonderful feeling and intense happiness with him. Instead, I felt the need to touch him again.

He smiled. "You may go," he repeated.

I walked down the path and through the town deep in thought, ignoring the stares as I passed by.

The two small speeches that I had made seemed so natural, like I didn't even have to think about it. Though I had reasoned with myself that it was because I listened to Tanya too frequently, I knew that that wasn't the case.

I hadn't had to ponder over anything as I told the duke what I would do if I loved him. I had felt the same feelings that Tanya had described to me, only they were intensified. I felt a tingly, warming, shocking feeling as my skin came in contact with his. I wasn't able to think when I looked into his eyes. I had even contemplated, ever so briefly, if what I had felt was love at first sight.

So, was I falling for him? Could it be true?

Maybe it could.

Maybe I loved him as she did.

**Our little Bella is falling in love. And if any of you don't understand the treasure part, don't hesitate to ask. And for those of you who haven't yet voted, my poll on which story to focus on more is still open! So please vote.**

**Okay, so I want to try something to see how many people read these author's notes. If you review (which I really hope you do. For a Christmas present, please?), write the words "dragons breathe clouds" at the end of your review. Thanks! Happy Holidays to you all!**


	5. Falling Hard

**Hello, my lovely readers! So I am posting this chapter tonight, and am very happy about it. But here's the thing, I know what's going to happen…in a couple more chapters. But I'm not sure what's going to happen before then. So hopefully this chapter is good, but I'll let you judge that for yourself.**

**Edward**

"What's your name?" I asked. I needed a name for this lovely girl.

"Bella," she breathed, seemingly dazed for an unknown reason. I half-wished that this reason was me. I half-wished that she was dazed because I was here.

"You may go," I informed her, releasing my hold on her wrist – an action that had been, while active, shooting pleasant shocks up my arm.

I watched as she walked back down the path and out the gate, hypnotized by the way her hair shimmered in the light, swishing slightly as she walked, her hips swaying the smallest bit. It made her look beautiful.

Just like her name. A beautiful girl, a beautiful name.

I walked to my study after she left, my mind wandering to a place that was so different than the hallway that my footsteps were echoing off of in the current moment; my mind was wandering to _her_.

I passed various people while I put one foot in front of the other many times in my walk to the study – the cook, a very nice woman that was like a mother to me, Spoden, who looked shocked at my expression but kept walking passed me anyway, my older brother Emmett, and a few of the servants. Some of them, Emmett included, had been worried or curious about my current state. I remembered Emmett's words well.

"What's up with you, my little brother? Been hit by Cupid's arrow?" He teased, giving me a wink before continuing down the hallway.

He didn't hear me as I whispered back from thirty feet away, "I think so."

I sank down into the armchair that I had been sitting in before I put my book down, before I had been interrupted by Spoden, and before Bella showed up. In other words, before my life had been slightly altered.

My only question was how. _How _had my life been altered? I was pretty sure that it had been changed for the better. After all, meeting a girl that captured your interest, though I had no idea how much interest, must be a good thing. Wasn't it a good thing to be feeling the emotions that were so vitally important to the heart?

I rang the bell on my desk, and a servant appeared not five seconds later.

"Yes, sir?" she asked, a playful twinkle in her eye. I suppressed the urge to shudder. Many of the female servants flirted with me, never getting the hint that I wasn't interested in the slightest.

"Send up Prince Emmett," I commanded her, turning my head away and leaving her disappointed as she walked away to meet my demands.

A few minutes later, Emmett burst through the doors, his giant frame immediately making me feel more comfortable; having my brother with me brought back memories of the old days at home.

"Bonjour, little Eddie." I winced at the childhood nickname that Emmett had once made up to annoy me. "What services of mine do you require?"

He then proceeded to give me and over-the-top bow. I chuckled lightly and gestured for him to sit. He did so, and then I began.

"I need…help," I informed him, not knowing the exact word to tack on at the end.

"With what?" Emmett's face had turned serious at my expression. He must've thought that something was wrong.

"Well…I…saw a girl…and I'm not sure what to do," I told him, carefully selecting my words.

"Finally falling for Tanya?" he teased, but he also seemed genuinely curious underneath. I scowled at him.

"Of course not."

"Then who is it?" Emmett prodded. I decided to skip that question altogether. It would not do to tell Emmett that I might have been momentarily entranced by a servant. I wasn't sure that I was even really interested in her, but Emmett would find something to tease me about nonetheless.

"It doesn't matter who it is, I just need some information."

"Like…" Emmett trailed off, his tone turning questioning at the end.

"Well, it might be hard for me to form rhetorical questions, so…what was the feeling when you and Rosalie first met?" I was longing for the answer, wanting to know if his feelings toward Rosalie at first sight were the same as mine. I almost wished they were, but I then realized that that would mean that I was falling for a _servant_. Not totally unforgivable, but almost wrong. I wasn't sure what I wanted to hear come from Emmett's mouth.

"My first thought," he began, "was 'what a beauty'. And she was. But I'd have to say that the first thing that I felt when I really got to know her was a kind of entrancement. I was caught up in _her_. I didn't hear what she said half the time, I only listened to the sound of her voice and paid attention to what she did. I don't think my mind was ever really there when she was first around, but I'm now more aware of everything that she says and does. And then, when she's gone, even for the smallest amount of time, I don't feel whole. I just need her there. I can't exactly describe the feeling. Why do you ask?"

Instead of answering him, I put up my index finger to indicate that I needed a moment. He nodded and leaned back in his chair, leaving me to my thoughts.

I remembered the instant that I had seen Bella. I had been struck by her beauty, longing for her to stay. I had a craving to hear her voice. I savored the sound, committing it to memory. And then, once I heard it, I didn't want the delicious sound to stop. I remembered the feeling of being off, lost in my thoughts with her around. They had always been of her.

But the most powerful feeling was the tingle that went through me every time I felt her touch. When I grabbed her wrist to ask her name, they were sent through me, and I felt as if they were the most wonderful feeling in the world. And then, as I let her go, they stopped. They flowed to the end of my fingertips and almost out to her. I had felt like she had taken something – a part of me, or an emotion – away with her, but I had shaken it off.

I had been feeling exactly what Emmett had described, except maybe a little more different. I had fallen for this servant.

"Oh," I whispered, my thoughts catching up with me. "Thank you Emmett. You may leave now."

My big brute of a brother looked at me with confusion etched on his face because of the sudden pardon, shrugged, and then walked out of the room muttering something that sounded like, "Well, it just means that I can spend more time with Rosalie."

I sighed and returned to my thoughts.

As I looked around, my gaze fell upon the book I had been reading. It had had something to do with music, pain, love…

I had a sudden urge to play the piano, and my feet guided me to the bench of their own accord.

I sat down slowly, feeling all of my emotions run through my body, through my core, out of my fingertips.

A face floated beneath my eyelids as I closed them to take a breath. Not just any face, but _her_ face. Bella's face.

As my eyes opened one again, a sudden emotion so strong came through me, and the piano bursted with song.

Softly, they played, my fingertips just barely touching the tops of the keys. A light melody played, the sound so sweet to hear.

And as I thought of her, the notes came more easily, sticking to my memory.

Most people could not hear it, but I could detect the soft undertone of longing hidden beneath the light chords. And the main notes played soft and sweet, the exact same way that she was.

I closed my eyes once again, letting her face, her beauty, and her voice wash over me. The melody rang in my ears, and then I felt it drifting to a close, the notes hinting at an end.

I pulled my hands away from the keys, astonished at what had happened.

I hadn't been able to play my beloved instrument for _weeks_, and all of a sudden, a random girl comes to my gate, delivers a message, and I can create a tune in an instant.

The girl must've been magic, for she was the only inspiration that I had found.

And then I knew that my previous assumption was correct.

I was falling for this girl. Hard.

**Eh, that chapter was kind of iffy. Although I'm not sure that I can work with Edward's character too well. And some things will definitely start happening soon.**

**By the way, my poll – to those of you that haven't voted and would like this story to be my main priority – will be closed by the second of January. Happy voting!**


	6. The Lullaby

**Hello, everybody! Okay, I only got about eight reviews for the last chapter. ='( I know that at least one hundred and ten people read my story when I updated it. Please, if you're nice enough to read my story, can you please review, too? It makes me happy!**

**WinterQueen: I'm going to post your review response here because I can't actually respond to it. Yes, the falling-in-love part **_**is**_** happening too fast, but that's the way I'm going to make it happen. However, Bella isn't quite **_**in**_** love with him yet. She's too smart for that. She has what can be considered a crush, and she knows that it's wrong. And for the French comment, no, they were not in France or any French-speaking country in the actual book, but I'm just going to incorporate some French words/phrases just because I never said the actual place, many countries speak French, and just because it's fun!**

**Okay, so even if you didn't read that whole thing, which might clear your mind too, I will now be posting responses to anonymous reviews up there because I don't know how else to respond. And on with the chapter we go!**

**Bella**

For weeks I had been delivering messages to the duke. I was kind of relieved when I realized that Tanya had no intention of demoting me and replacing my position with someone else, something she had done to other messengers when she got annoyed with them.

Every time I went over to Duke Edward's mansion to deliver a message, I generally had to improvise again. Sometimes I was given a message by Tanya to recite to him, but it was usually my brain doing all the work.

And every time, the duke would ask me a few pointless questions; What is your favorite color? Do you have any siblings? – That one made me cry – What are your two favorite things to do? The list went on, and every time I came to deliver the message, at least ten of them were thrown at me.

I don't know why. But I answered them every time. He seemed to be intent on listening to my answers, if it didn't seem that he was deep in thought. However, I didn't understand why he would continue to ask me questions if he wanted to think about something.

Usually, he would look frustrated, or maybe perplexed. I had no idea why. Sometimes, he would be on the verge of asking something, and then his mouth would close again, and he would continue to puzzle over something for a little while before he asked the next question. It was all rather confusing.

But the most confusing part was the fact that I wasn't sure of my feelings toward this duke. Every time he would look at me to ask me a question, I would get momentarily lost in his gaze before answering. When he would speak, his voice washed over me, and it made me disappointed when I realized that I would have to be the next to speak, my voice sounding ghastly in comparison. And then, every time he would accidentally touch me by brushing his fingers against the back of my hand to reach for something or bumping into me on accident when he opened the gate, the same thrilling feeling went through me, sometimes shocking but sometimes so wonderful that it hurt me internally when the short moment of contact was over.

I knew that I was more attached to the duke than I should be, but I couldn't help it. I now knew why Tanya thought him to be so irresistible. But I slightly disagreed with that point; I was around him so much that if he _was_ so irresistible, I would've already done something that would have made me be sent away from his house, never being allowed to enter again.

I knew that I was falling for him, though how far I already was, I had no idea. I hoped I hadn't fallen too deep, for it would cause me so much heart break if I had. He wasn't meant to be mine. If anyone, Tanya would become his. She loved him with all of her heart, and with the wealth and position she had, they were a perfect match.

And I knew that it was wrong to love him, if even a little. My lady had sent me to bring over _her_ love, not to create another lovesick servant. Reason number two, he would never love me. And for the last time, that kind of love was never meant to be.

But if this was all _me_ telling myself this and convincing myself out of it, why did it cause my heart hurt to come upon this realization?

For that, I had no answer.

But today, I was going to test my endurance. I was sending yet another message to the duke, and I would not get lost in his gaze, swoon, stutter, or anything of the sort because of him today. I would make sure of it.

As I was walking up to the gate, I saw Mike coming across the grass towards the gate that I was currently standing at. Sometimes, if we would see each other at this point, we would talk before I rang the bell, just so the conversation could continue without being interrupted. He had become a good friend. Sometimes he tried to be more than that or try to kiss me, but he was only a friend to me.

"Mike!" I called out, waving. He looked up from the ground and waved back with a smile on his face once he noticed who it was. He jogged over to me, and his breathing had turned heavy once he reached the other side of the gate. He slipped outside to talk to me, as it was kind of awkward to talk with a gate between us to block our faces.

"Hello, Bella," he greeted me, resting one arm against the gate. "What might be the cause of your visit today?"

I rolled my eyes at his dumb joke. "The same as it always is."

"And would that be to greet the most extraordinary Michael Newton?" he asked. This time I chuckled.

"No, that would be to deliver a message to the duke. But greeting Michael Newton sometimes is an added cause." I smiled at him and he smiled back. Our jokes were stupid, yet we continued to use them anyway. I didn't know why. But talking with Mike was easy, and it was one thing that I could look forward to when I came here.

"Well, you know how much I like to talk to you, but I must really be going," Mike informed me.

"What chore is it this time?" I asked, knowing that there was no other reason that he would stop talking with me than to attend to his duties.

"I have to pick all the lemons off of the trees…with the help of a few other servants of course."

"Ouch." I felt bad for Mike. Once, I had been given that responsibility. I had ended up with a few squished lemons – they had dropped – and many scratches up my arms from where the thorns on the trees had cut me.

"Yeah, but you know what might make me feel better?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned a little closer to me. I leaned a little bit back.

"What?" Of course, I already knew what it was; a kiss. This was the way he tried to get me to kiss him half the time. The other half… I don't really know what to say.

"A kiss from you." Yes, I was right. He started to lean in so that his face was a couple inches from mine and his eyes were half-closed. I stuck my arm out to ring the bell while leaning farther back.

"Sorry, Mike. It's not going to happen." His eyes opened at the ring of the bell – he knew that at any moment someone would come to allow me in the house – and tried to give me a quick kiss again. But once he got about four inches from my face, Spoden came out. My savior.

"Isabella, right this way," Spoden addressed me. He opened the gate for Mike and I to come in. Inside, I felt intently happy. I mouthed a 'thanks' to Spoden and he gave me a small smile back. He and I had been getting along now, and he no longer acted as if he was so much more important than me.

"And you," he turned to address Mike. "Shouldn't you be out picking the lemons off the trees? I recall giving you the assignment a while ago."

"Oh, um, yes Sir," Mike stammered. Spoden raised an eyebrow at him, and Mike scurried off in the other direction.

Once Mike was out of earshot, I turned back to Spoden. "Thank you for that."

He just sighed. "Anything that the master wants to happen will happen." I cocked my head to the side and gave Spoden a puzzled expression. "He doesn't want you to be uncomfortable in his estates. But besides that, I would do it anyway. That particular boy is quite a pest sometimes."

I smiled a small smile. Then my smile got bigger when I recalled Spoden's words: _He doesn't want you to be uncomfortable in his estates._ Duke Edward didn't seem like he cared for many of the servants in his house, much less the fact that they were comfortable or not. Why was I different?

A tiny voice in the back of my head started to speak. _Maybe he likes you the way you like him._ Another smile formed across my face before I could stop it, and then I began to beat it back. There was no way that the duke liked me the way I did him. There was no possibility. And then I reminded the torturous part of my mind of the reasons I had thought of earlier; the love was forbidden, there was no way he could love me, and Tanya trusted me. I wasn't supposed to betray her.

I was so focused on making myself see sense that I didn't notice the step that I had to walk up to pass inside the doorway. I tripped and braced myself for hitting the hard tile. But I didn't. Instead, two strong hands that definitely weren't Spoden's caught my arms, stopping me right before my face hit the floor.

The arms brought me to an upright position, and I looked down to brush the dirt off of my dress.

"Thank you," I whispered, but the person who caught me must've heard me anyway because he replied, "You're welcome."

My head snapped up in astonishment and blood rushed to my cheeks. The duke was standing before me in all his glory, smiling a small, crooked smile. My heart pounded at the sight of him.

Duke Edward turned to Spoden. "I can take it from here, thank you Spoden. Besides, it _is_ my message."

The duke and Spoden exchanged a silent conversation in which they only flickered their eyes towards the object of their silent statement, tilted their heads, and made odd facial expressions. At the very end, Spoden nodded and the duke turned back to me.

"What is the message today? And for a second question, is the message an improvisation that we can cut short so that I can ask questions, or is it a message from Tanya?" I almost sighed when he talked about his interrogations, which I had never gotten the point of.

"It is, in fact, a message directly from my lady. And must you interrogate me so?" He chuckled and smiled slightly at me again.

"Yes, I must. But the reasons are known to me only," he added, realizing that I was about to cut him off and guessing my question. "But I'm not sure that I will pry information out of you today."

I breathed a sigh of relief while he seemed to contemplate something to himself. He came back to our universe to ask, "And what might this message be?"

"This is quoted to the best of my memory, so it might be a little different, but her message states, 'My dearest Edward, I have been sending Bella to give you messages that she writes herself for so long that I know I myself haven't actually been able to tell you just how much you mean to me. But as these are my own words, I am doing that just now. You need to know that I love you with all of my heart. I can't express how much my heart swells when I see you, and I don't even know myself how many pieces it breaks into when you push me away or don't even pay attention to me. I want to know what it is I have to do to stop being just another person to you. What is it? I need to know what can make you love me. Sending this message with all my heart, Tanya.'" I took a deep breath after reciting the message, holding it while waiting for the duke's response.

"That was…long," he finally expressed after a few moments. I exhaled my breath in a long _whoosh_, happy that he hadn't gotten angry or even broken out of his calm – he seemed to detest Tanya.

"And she told me to tell you," I began after another minute. Edward looked straight at me after falling deep into thought for the minute that no one had said anything. "That you were invited to a ball at her estate. It's a masquerade ball, so you will have to show up in a mask. This ball is to take place the Friday after next in Tanya's own ballroom. Are you able to come?"

He smiled at me. "Yes, I am sure that I am."

I smiled back. "My lady will be pleased."

"I want to show you something." The duke grabbed my wrist and pulled me along behind him. All the way, my wrist was tingling with the same feeling it always did when he touched me. The feeling spread throughout me and made me feel wonderful.

I turned my head to look at all the pictures on the walls while the duke towed me to wherever we were going. At times we would pass other servants, and the females glared fiercely at me.

Duke Edward pulled me up a grand staircase made of smooth white marble. My shoes echoed off of the rock and the walls, endlessly sounding throughout the halls. The duke's steps, however, made not a sound.

At long last, the duke opened a pair of huge, white doors, and he then let go of my hand. I gasped at what I saw inside the room. It was very open, almost empty. The ceiling rose at least ten feet above me. The room must've been facing the front yard, for directly across from the wall with the doors were many clear glass doors leading to a balcony. I walked swiftly towards one of the glass doors and flung it open to lean over the edge of the balcony.

It was amazing. I could see almost our whole town. To the right of my vision was Tanya's house. I watched as she herself came onto her own balcony, her head seeming to turn towards where I was standing for a few seconds. I fought the urge to wave to her, and I found I won the battle instantly.

Directly in front of me was the street, and it wound its way toward the center of town, where the market was. I saw the baker closing his door, a tray of leftover pastries from that day's business in hand. I passed him a lot on my way home after delivering a message, and sometimes he gave me one of the leftovers as a treat. Across the dusty street from him was the tailor, who was also coming out of his shop. But instead of a tray of pastries, he was holding a dress.

As I looked to my left, I saw the river that flowed endlessly like a ribbon on the outside of town. A few children were playing in the river, and occasionally one of them would emit a soft squeal.

I turned to walk back in the room, closing and re-locking the door to the balcony behind me. I was immediately drawn to a portrait of a girl on the west side of the room. She seemed a little younger than I was, but she was incredibly tiny. She had short black hair that spiked out around her face – and odd hairstyle for the women of this town. Her eyes were a bright blue, and they seemed to be a little too big for her face.

But what caught my attention the most was her smile. Most people didn't smile in their portraits, for it hurt their face to stay in that position for hours. And if they did have a smile, it always looked very fake. But this smile was genuine. It reached her eyes, and curved into one huge semicircle.

"That's my cousin," Edward's voice came from behind me, but I didn't turn to look at him. I was too entranced by the portrait of the lovely young girl. "Her name is Alice. This used to be her living quarters, but she moved out. She now lives across town with her husband. I visit them occasionally, and they sometimes come here, though very rarely."

"She's lovely," I responded, turning around to face him. He was sitting at a magnificent black piano in the east corner of the room. It looked quite new, and it was in pristine condition. Duke Edward was sitting on the piano bench.

"Come over here," he beckoned, pointing to the seat next to him. "The room isn't what I really wanted to show you. In fact, I actually wanted you to listen to something."

I hesitantly crossed the room to sit next to the duke on the short bench. The close proximity was making me feel very nervous.

"I was inspired to write this a while ago, and now it's all but perfected," he whispered, and then his hands flew across the keys.

A lovely melody started, soft and sweet. It was no louder than his whisper at first, and then barely growing in volume. Every single time his hands would touch the keys, the notes would hang in the air until another set of notes, just as loud as the last set, would replace them.

It was hard to grasp the fact that only Edward was playing the song, for it seemed to be coming from all around me instead of right in front of me.

I closed my eyes to savor the sound and let it wash over me for a few more minutes before I heard it come to a close. I opened my eyes, and a few tears swam at the edges. I wiped them away with my sleeve before speaking to the duke.

"Sir-"

"Call me Edward," he insisted, sending a thrill through me.

"Edward, then. Edward, that was beautiful. I really think that it was wonderful. And thank you so much for sharing that with me. I would really wish to see the beautiful lady that inspired you to write such a lovely composition. But I must go now. I'm afraid it's getting dark, and I must be getting home before the path is all but gone. Again, thank you, and good-bye."

I then stood up from the bench and walked out of the room towards home, the soft lullaby replaying itself in my head.

**Spoden**

I had been in the gardens for a few minutes directing the servants when I heard the music. Such a beautiful sound. It seemed to be coming from Lady Alice's old room, which was now Sir Edward's private room.

He was now playing the piano, something that he hadn't done, or been able to do well, for quite some time now.

And I understood what the song was about, too. It was a soft sound, barely audible to my ears, and also very calming and sweet. It was about the messenger, Isabella, or Bella, as she liked to be called.

He had been working on that piece ever since the first day she had come to the estate. It was undeniable that he had fallen for her, though how far in I had no idea. He was considerably happier since that one day.

Although, falling for her might have been a little bit of an understatement. It was wrong, though, the feelings that he had toward her. She was a _servant_, after all. Not that I had anything against her, but it was still immensely wrong. That kind of love was almost forbidden.

But forbidden or not, I couldn't deny the truth. Sir Edward, who was like family to me, was in love with the messenger.

**Yay! We get to hear from Spoden! I personally think that he is one awesome dude, though that might be because I'm the only one who really knows him… But anyway, Happy New Year! It's 2009!!**

**And hopefully you are all happy, because the fact that this chapter is 3,310 words long is your Holiday present! Of course, you shouldn't be expecting them to be this long all the time.**

**The song I have been listening to about twenty times on repeat this whole chapter was **_**Dirty Little Secret**_** by All American Rejects, though it has nothing to do with the chapter.**

**And please, don't forget to review!!!**


	7. Rosebush Circle

**Hello, guys! Thanks so much for all of your reviews! They make me happy! =D There are no anonymous review replies today, as the only thing I can say to the only anonymous reviewer would totally spoil the chapter.**

**By the way, I started a three-shot called It's Too Late. Go check it out!**

**Bella**

A week and two days had gone by since Duke Edward, or Edward as he told me to call him, had played for me on the piano. Things had gotten a little more relaxed between us. We rarely ever paid attention to the message Tanya had me send or make up. Instead, we would talk about ourselves a little bit, and each time we conversed, I learned more about him. And fell farther in love with him.

Yes, now I knew that I was in love. Of course, it seemed like it was almost the hardest thing in the world not to be. But that was probably because it was me. I was sure that there were many girls who found it easy to frown upon him.

There were so many things that he did that captured my interest. For one, even though he was a duke and therefore wealthy and powerful, he didn't intend to waste the days away. He wanted to be a famous composer, and he had once told me that just accomplishing that would fulfill one of his lifelong dreams. But if he couldn't be a composer, he wanted to be in a medical position. It was hard to save a life or help cure a sickness, for no one had figured out any way to make it all easier, and all anyone could do was create a medicine to give their patient.

Many of the times we came over, we talked about family. I told Edward about my parents, which was a hard subject for me to talk about, even if I had had two years to heal from the emotional pain. I always avoided any question about my siblings, though I had answered his question once if I had any. I told the duke I had one brother, and that was all. No name passed through my lips, and I found it hard to try to speak about him, so I stayed away from that subject altogether.

So many days I had spent listening to his velvety smooth voice. But now I was helping my lady set up for the masquerade ball. I wouldn't be here if it were my choice, but this took up the time of my work hours, so I was required to listen to Tanya tell me all of her feelings about Edward while we set up.

"And did you know he plays piano? I've heard him once, but only for a couple seconds. The music made my heart swell."

"Yes, ma'am," I responded to Tanya, who was now draping tablecloths over the round tables that occupied a small section of the large room. "I've heard him play myself. It is quite wonderful. He also told me that he wants to become a composer."

"He's told you those things?" Tanya looked at me in shock. "Why? He's never talked to me about things such as that."

"I guess he just felt like having a conversation that day," I murmured. Tanya's lips were pulled down into a frown.

"Well, I'm not going to talk about Edward for the moment." Tanya straightened a corner of the tablecloth and then smiled a little, proud of her work. "I wanted to talk about the ball. Of course, I will need a couple servants to be working by serving the drinks, but I think I also want you to be there."

I was frozen for a second. She wanted me to be at the ball to serve drinks and try not to look pathetic in front of the nobles? I might spill a glass of wine on someone, or break a glass, or just make Tanya look bad.

"You want me to be helping with the drinks and helping the nobles?" I asked while tying a ribbon around one of the posts. "I don't think I'd make a good impression on them, and you could be judged by me."

"No, Bella," she sighed, shaking her head. "I want you to be greeting the guests. After that, you might be mingling with the nobles or talking with the servants who _are_ serving the drinks and helping run the ball. You will be dressed in the proper party attire but mind you, the dress is not mine. I borrowed it, so don't mess it up, please. As is the theme, we will be wearing masks, so nobody will know that it's you. And I am doing this because I want to. I want you to be there."

I wasn't sure, but it seemed as if she was glad when she said 'nobody will know that it is you'. As if she didn't want anybody to recognize me. Or maybe she would be embarrassed if people knew that she was inviting a servant to the party. This made a small flame of anger start in the pit of my stomach.

"Sure, Miss." I wobbled a little bit on my toes while trying to reach another ribbon and almost falling down. "It's very kind of you to invite me."

"Of course, dear," Tanya replied from across the room. "I had Mary send the dress up to your room, along with the mask. I expect you down here in your attire when the party starts. You may go now."

I curtsied at my lady before running through the halls, up the stairs, and through more halls to get to my room. On my bed, as promised, were a dress and a mask.

The dress was a strapless gown. The top area was beaded intricately. Two rows of beads were placed right under the breast area and right above my waist. In between them were beads that were just scattered, not really sewn in any pattern. The bottom had a lace web hanging over it, and in some places the thin, light blue fabric creating it was connected with a silver bead.

The mask was beautiful. The base was a metallic gray-black and around the edges was a pattern painted in bluish silver. Around the eyes, the same paint weaved a design of twists and waves, glittering in the light. **(Links for the dress and mask are on my profile)**

I breathed in awe as I held the dress against my form. It seemed like it would be big enough. But I decided to try it on just in case.

I slipped it on and immediately the dress hung to my curves and fit perfectly. The fabric felt light and soft, and the top gave me no difficulty with breathing. It was wonderful.

At that moment, Sophia came through the door to our chambers. She gasped when she saw me.

"Oh…my…lord. Bella, is that you?" I grinned to answer her question. "My dear, you look lovely! But, might I ask, why is it that you have this dress and mask on?"

"For the masquerade ball, of course," I answered, stripping out of the gown to put my servant's dress back on. "Tanya invited to me to it. Well, not exactly. I am to be greeting the guests, and then I can mingle a little if I want."

"She invited _you_?" Her tone was insulting. I just nodded in response. "Well, you do look very beautiful in the gown. Pretend to be of noble status and you might just break some of the nobles' hearts."

I grinned at her, now back in my normal attire with the blue dress now locked in my trunk that was full of all the possessions I could pack after my parents' death. "Of course."

As we stood there grinning at each other like imbeciles, a girl around my age ran into the room. I had seen her a few times around the palace and we had become good friends. Her name was Angela.

"Bella," she addressed me, her tone coming out in a question.

"Yes, that would be me." I cracked a smile and waved a shy wave.

She sighed. "Well, I'm just coming to tell you that I'm going to the ball with you. Tanya invited me, too, so I'm going to be there."

I was ecstatic. At least there would be somebody there that I could talk to if nobody liked me. That, and one of my great friends was accompanying me to this wonderful experience.

"That's wonderful! Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." She smiled and nodded and then ran back to wherever she had come from.

I ran back down to the ballroom as soon as I could, tripping and skinning my palms on the staircase. They were stinging as I walked through the door. Tanya looked up at my approach, and then turned back to whatever she was doing.

"Could you go find the plates and put them at the end of the long table? We're going to be serving food," she instructed as she fixed the last of the chairs.

"Yes, Miss." I curtsied and ran out of the room to the kitchen.

"Oh! And Bella," she called right before I was out of the room. I turned back towards her. "How was the dress?"

"Perfect. Thank you very much." I curtsied again and dashed towards the kitchen.

Once I got into the room, all I saw was the cupboard that held the plates, and I didn't see anything else. As I sprinted to the cupboard, unaware of my surroundings, I almost ran into the cook, who had a tray of steaming hot soup in her hands. She pulled it high above my head so as to not knock it into me, and I ended up ducking below her arm before spinning around to apologize.

"Bella," she scolded, her face scornful. "You know I do not like anyone running in my kitchen."

The cook was a nice woman. When I had first arrived, she had been very kind to me and acted like a second mother. Yet when she was stern, she scared me out of my wits. I knew that she was not a woman to cross. She was a little large, and her height made me look like a dwarf. Her neck was thick, and her arms looked big because of her strong muscle beneath them. She was able to beat almost anyone in a sparring match, if need be.

"Sorry, Cook." I never really knew her first name, so Cook was the only name I called her by.

"That's alright, dear. And don't run while carrying the plates to the ballroom. No need to push your luck." She smiled at me before walking out of the room. She was most likely taking the soup to Billy, the sick gardener. Jacob, his son, was my good friend, and I often had him teach me all about the kinds of flowers in the garden.

"Tell Billy that I say hello and get well soon," I called after her. She yelled back a reply that I didn't hear, for she was already far down the hall.

I pulled the plates out of the cupboard that I finally got to, and stacked them high in a tower, one on top of the other. The stack wobbled a bit as I walked down the hall, but other than that it held steady. I was pretty happy with myself, and decided to test my ability by walking a little faster. My luck held for about ten seconds, and then my usual clumsiness got to me.

I tripped over my feet, sending the plates flying through the hall. I landed on the shards of porcelain littering the ground, scraping my knees, shins, and palms. One of the servants, Samantha I think her name was, was walking down the hall and saw me on the ground with the scattered remains of the fancy plates around me.

"Oh dear," she gasped as she quickened her pace towards me. She immediately helped me to my feet and then proceeded to pick up the broken pieces that lay around me. I began to pick them up as well, and we sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"Thank you," I whispered. She smiled at me.

"Of course. What were you doing with these plates?" I looked into her deep blue eyes, and saw nothing but curiosity. She wasn't just asking to appear polite.

"I was bringing them into the ballroom for the masquerade ball. But then I was walking a little to fast and I tripped…" I trailed off, as she had been here for the rest. "The Lady is going to kill me." She chuckled.

"Well, let me help you with them. That way it can be done faster, too." I smiled appreciatively at her before standing upright again. The scraps of china were now in our hands instead of the floor, so we set off back to the kitchen to throw them away and grab the new plates.

We chose more oval-shaped dishes this time and set off down the hall again.

"Thanks again, Samantha," I murmured again, knowing that she could hear me.

Her smile was still in place, but it fell a little. "My name is Susan."

"Sorry," I quickly apologized, fear now evident on my face. She laughed, the sound coming out hearty, as if my facial expression was the funniest thing in the world.

"It's perfectly alright."

We continued to talk as we walked into the ballroom, set the plates on the table, and started the cycle again. There were a lot of guests coming, so we would need many dishes.

As we set the last round of plates on the long table, Susan and I said our good-byes and she walked back to her chambers while I walked across the room to talk to Tanya.

"Is everything ready, Miss?" I asked, watching as she stepped down from the stool and turned around to talk to me.

"As of right now it is." She peered around me to glance at all of the plates that were piled in tall stacks at the end of the long table. "Why are the second-best dishes over there? We have to look our best tomorrow evening."

I blushed. "You see, when I was walking with one of the stacks of our best china, I accidentally tripped and they fell to the floor and broke." I pulled up my dress a little bit to show my scrapes on my knees and shins. After she saw them, I held out my palms so that she could see the scratches there, too.

"We're going to have to give you gloves to go with your dress," she muttered mostly to herself before speaking to me again. Her eyes were narrowed. "Very well then. I guess that will have to do. You have the rest of the day off. You need to be up by the regular time tomorrow or maybe a little bit later. It takes a little bit of preparation to look just right for these things, and you need to look your best, too. Go along, then. I'll see you tomorrow."

I curtsied deeply once again, my knees shaking, before running off again. I sprinted outside, towards the garden, calling Jacob's name over and over again. He popped his head over a tall bush, and upon seeing me, his face split into a large grin.

"Nice to see you today, Bells," he addressed me, bowing deeply. I giggled.

"Hello to you, too."

"What would you like to see today? Would you like a tour of our newest flowers? Or would you perhaps like to see all of the jasmines? Where might I take you?" He kept his face serious and questioning, mimicking the butler that Tanya used to have. He would always show a guest that had never been to the palace before to their rooms, and the next day, he would show them around. But he was usually very into his job, which made him look quite silly.

"I would like to see the Rosebush Circle, please." The Rosebush Circle was a small section of the garden that was enclosed by a circular wall. Rosebushes grew over the walls, covering every part of the gray bricks. Red roses, pink roses, and yellow roses bloomed from the branches all around, and if you stood in the middle of the circular clearing, you could turn all the way around and every section of the wall that you saw was covered with roses.

The only way you could get in was by a door that was normally locked. As Jacob always had a key, I was allowed in there whenever I wanted. It was off-limits to everyone else but Jacob, Billy, and I because, even though Tanya kept it locked up, she still wanted it to be kept in good condition, so Jacob and Billy had keys to get in to trim the bushes and water the roses.

Tanya just didn't know that I went in there often as well.

"As you wish, my lady." Jacob bowed deeply again, and a few giggles escaped my mouth. We linked arms as we walked towards the Rosebush Circle and I found myself comforted in this position.

Once we got to the door, Jacob slid his arm away from mine to fetch the key from his pocket so that he could unlock the door. He opened the door and I gasped.

It was mid-spring, so all of the roses were blooming. Some were fully opened, while others were just small buds. The whole circular enclosing was covered with the roses, and I could only see a few leaves here and there.

"Jake, it's beautiful," I breathed in awe, turning back to him.

"Isn't it? I love this part of the garden, especially the fact that no one could come in here to disturb it." He smiled at me. I grinned back.

"Let's spend most of our time tonight in here. I have to wake up extra early to be tortured with beauty items." I made a face, and Jacob laughed. "I have to greet guests at the Lady's masquerade ball, so she says I have to look proper and lovely. I don't want to be put through all of those hours with beauticians. And then, after I greet all the guests, I might have to _dance_."

I made another face, and Jacob burst out laughing again. Through his hysterics, he managed to choke out, "B-but…you can't…d-dance!"

"I know that. That's half of what I'm afraid of."

Jacob was still laughing after two minutes had gone by, but then he started to control it and his breathing returned to normal.

"Would you like to practice then, Miss?" He asked, offering his hand.

I took it and shot a smile at him. "I would be honored."

And then Jacob brought me to him as we started dancing and twirling through the Rosebush Circle.

**In my mind, this Rosebush Circle is very beautiful. Hopefully the description was enough to make you see a clear and lovely picture, too. And apparently, there is such a place called the Rosebush Circle, but I didn't know that until some weird little icon came up on Word, so if any of you have been there, this Rosebush Circle isn't based off of it, even if it accidentally sounds a little bit like it. I've never been there in my life.**

**So, hopefully you liked the chapter. The next chapter will be – of course – the masquerade ball. If you liked it, loved it, hated it, please drop a review! It only takes up about thirty seconds of your time!**


	8. Asked to Dance

**Hello! So this is the awaited ball chapter! Um, but only partly. I would've put the whole ball in here, but so many things needed to happen that that would probably make it take about twenty pages, so I cut the ball in two. Sorry! A few of you guessed some things about this chapter right (many of you said that you thought it would be funny if the servants worked at the ball, and you found out last chapter that they did), so virtual claps for you! I decided that I was in the mood for some French-speaking people today, so there will be some French in this chapter spoken by a couple of the characters for no apparent reason.**

**I am so happy about all the reviews and feedback for this story! I absolutely adore it! **

**Bella**

I woke up to the chirping of the morning lark. I bolted up straight with the realization that today would be the day that I would get to attend Tanya's ball. I might even get to dance!

I dashed out of bed and into the washroom, whistling. I quickly cleaned my face using a wet towel and soap. Today was the day that I was going to get _pampered_. The idea might be lovely to most ladies – especially the servants of the palace – but it was not something that I enjoyed doing. I much preferred walking around in the gardens, or perhaps just frolicking around the castle, chatting with some of the other servants.

Even though getting dolled up by a random woman who worked as a beautician had me shaking, I worked to get ready quickly. There was so much that was needed to be done that Tanya would have my head if I wasn't downstairs and ready to go soon. I wasn't sure how much of an exaggeration that was.

As soon as I was dressed up in one of the more suitable dresses from my trunk – a white dress that had two-inch straps at the shoulders and a red sash before poofing out into multiple white layers – I scurried downstairs. Tanya was already there, waiting for me in a dress of her own.

She smiled at me as I came down the last stair before beckoning me forward.

"Time for a day full of preparation and beauty, Bella. And we get to do it together!"

I smiled outwardly to pretend to share some enthusiasm, but inwardly I was going through hell. This was not my kind of day. I was not the kind of person to go out and _willingly_ get put through hours of styling my hair, finding accessories for my outfit, or getting expensive scents sprayed on me. I just had to grin and bear it.

We were apparently walking through town the whole day. When I told Tanya that this would either mess up our cosmetics or our hair, she just replied that it would not have any effect on the cosmetics and the worst our hair would do would be to have one strand out of place. I just walked silently after that.

We first came upon the tailor's workshop. I stood there, puzzled. Why was Tanya here? We already had our dresses, whether they were lent to us or not.

"Why are we here, Miss?" I asked, for once voicing my thoughts. Tanya turned back around to face me.

"To get your gloves, of course. We can't have you shaking people's hands and dancing if your hands are all scraped up." She told me this as if it was the most obvious thing on earth. Though to her, it probably was. I nodded at her and stepped inside.

"Bonjour, Bella," Frederick, the tailor, addressed me. He knew me from my almost-daily walks back and forth from Tanya's estates to the duke's. He was French, and usually a few French words would slip off of his tongue here and there. "Bonjour, mademoiselle."

Tanya giggled a little at his French accent, and then straightened up. She smiled a little at him before speaking. "Yes, we would like to buy gloves for Bella, _s'il vous plait_."

I was a little surprised at Tanya's knowledge of the French language, but then remembered that she _had_ had a French tutor when she was younger, but only learned enough French to get her around a French-speaking town if need be before that tutor was dismissed.

"Of course," Frederick agreed. "Right this way."

We followed him to a section of the small shop where a large section of the wall was covered with gloves on shelves.

"Which pair?" Frederick asked.

"_Ces gants bleu-la_," Tanya answered confidently, pointing to a pair of gloves on the shelf as if she was used to giving people orders, which, I reminded myself, she probably was. Frederick nodded and pulled a pair from the shelf. I was just plain blue, perhaps one shade off from the color of my dress, but it would do.

"Try this one," Frederick instructed me, handing me the glove for my right hand. I slipped my hand through it until my fingers were touching the ends of the finger holes. The glove was a little too small, and it came an inch below my elbow, where it was supposed to end.

"Perhaps something a little larger," Frederick murmured to himself, slipping the glove off of my hand and handing me a new one. This one was the exact shade of my dress, and the end of the glove had a row of small beads circling around the glove. I slipped it on, and it fit exactly right, the finger slots long enough and the glove the right height.

"_C'est__ parfait_," I breathed in awe. "_Merci, Frederick._"

Frederick smiled at me and bowed. Tanya was the one who slid the glove off of my hand this time, grabbing the other one from its shelf and walking towards the counter.

"We will take these gloves, please." Tanya placed the gloves on the counter as Frederick walked up behind it to evaluate the price. After she had paid, we exited the store.

"_A bientôt,_" Frederick called after us.

"_Au __revoir__ et merci,_" I called back as I stepped over the threshold and back into the streets. **(Translation for all the French is in the author's note at the bottom)**

"You know French, Bella?" Tanya inquired.

"Yes. My mother was French, and it was spoken around the house a lot before…she passed on." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and a tear slipped down my cheek.

"Well, onto the shoes for tonight," Tanya announced, having paid little attention to my tears, if she even noticed them.

I smiled a weak smile at her and walked into the next store.

I ended up finding turquoise flats that were made of a thin material and were almost like slippers. These had beads on them, too, and my outfit had been completed.

Now we were walking towards the beautician's shop, where she would curl our hair and apply a light layer of make-up. The thought made my stomach churn. I did not like being dolled up.

I sat for an hour in the chair by the window, my hair in rollers, staring at the river. There were no children like when I had delivered that message to the duke, but I was content in just watching the water crash up against the rocks on either side and flow on towards the ocean.

Once my hour was up, the beautician came over and roughly pulled the rollers out of my hair. For once, my mahogany locks were wavy, curling into ringlets at the bottom. It shimmered in the light, and I felt more beautiful just by this small transformation.

Another hour was spent with many ladies plucking at my eyebrows and sweeping brushes across my face. I had to stay silent the whole time, and this time it felt like torture. As soon as they were done though, I felt as if it were worth it. My normally ordinary features had been enhanced, and I actually looked good. My cheeks were rosy, and my eyes seemed even brighter because of the eye shadow that they ladies had put on my eyelids. My lips were a light pink, and they seemed plump and cute. For once, I really like my appearance.

I smiled over Tanya, who was in a chair a few feet away from me. She smiled back at me, and I was intimidated by her beauty. She stood up and grabbed my hand to walk out of the salon. She laid the proper amount of money on the counter as we walked out the door.

We walked down the streets to go back to Tanya's mansion to put on our dresses for the ball. We saw the baker on the way, and I gave him a wave. He smiled at me and Tanya before continuing to talk to his customer.

Once we stepped through Tanya's doorway, she handed me my gloves and shoes before almost pushing me up the stairs to get dressed. We still had an hour, but she felt that we had to get ready now.

In my chamber, I pulled my trunk out from under the bed, only to find my dress and mask missing. I frowned, wondering where they could've gone. Not many people knew about my trunk, and Tanya had her own dress.

Then I realized where it was, and let out an exasperated sigh. I strode over to Sophia's bed and lifted up the mattress. She had tucked the ball gown and mask under it, no doubt to pose as me so that she could dance and mingle with the nobles. I shook my head. Sophia really was a nice girl, but sometimes she wasn't too smart.

I picked up the dress and mask and lay them on my own mattress. I stripped down to my undergarments before slipping the gown over my head. It fit me as well as last time, and I struggled a little to pull my zipper all the way up, but I managed. I put my mask over my head and eyes, straightened my dress, and headed out of my chambers, hoping beyond hope that nobody was in the hallway.

Someone _was_ there, but it was just Angela, who was in her dress as well. Her dress was a bright gold, and it was made up of a smooth, shiny fabric. It was strapless, and where it covered her breasts, many beads were scattered around. Beads also made a line across her waist in a thin pattern. At the bottom, the fabric was gathered at measured intervals, making it look a little like my own. Her mask was exactly like mine, except it was a light golden color and the delicate painted pattern was painted in gold as well.

"You look wonderful," I informed her, causing her cheeks to turn a light pink.

"You as well. Let's go." We descended the stairs together and headed towards the ballroom, where Tanya would be waiting. And waiting she was. At the sound of our footsteps, she turned around to address us.

Her dress was strapless as well, made of a pink material. The whole top was intricately beaded, with marvelous patterns made with the beads. The bottom of the dress puffed out, the fabric out about a foot and a half from where her legs actually were. The bottom portion was covered with a thin layer of a see-through silver fabric over the pink. More beads formed small shapes here and there all around her. The mask was just the same as ours, but the area around her eyes was light pink instead of dark silver or gold. The twisting pattern was black. **(Dresses and masks for all three are on profile)**

"Hello ladies. Of course, you will not be greeting the guests in the entrance to the ballroom. Instead, you will be greeting them at the front door. The dance will start in" – she looked out the window towards the huge clock tower in the middle of the town – "ten minutes. Go now."

She shooed us towards the front door, where we opened the door and stood at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the door. We waited and waited for what seemed like and hour, but that was probably because I was a little nervous.

"What if no one shows up?" Angela whispered curiously. Of course, knew that someone would show up, but it felt as if the ball should have started by now.

"Then the Lady will be quite disappointed, and she probably won't come out of the house for many months until all the chatter has died down." Angela and I giggled a little, but quickly calmed down and straightened up when we saw the first guest arrive.

A white horse was pulling an expensive-looking carriage. A larger man came out of the black carriage and then helped a woman out. As they came towards the door, I saw that they were an older couple than me by a few years, but not really old. Just older than me.

"Good evening, Sir," I greeted him as he picked up my gloved hand and kissed the back of it. "Good evening, Miss," I greeted the woman as I shook her hand. Angela was now saying hello to the man and then pointed towards the ballroom before shaking hands with the woman, who followed after the man at a brisk pace.

We did not have to wait for more than five seconds before more guests arrived, and by then they came almost endlessly, always one right after the other. After ten minutes, I was tired of just standing up straight and being polite to these strangers, but I kept on smiling and shaking hands.

Then, a voice sang from outside, "Let's go. It's time!"

The voice was quite energetic, and when the owner came in, I recognized her as the girl from the portrait in the duke's house, but I couldn't remember her name. Behind her was a large man, who was very tall and looked very strong. I looked at his eyes behind the mask and was surprised by the familiarity of them. But I was quite sure that I hadn't seen him before. We gazed at each other curiously as he kissed my hand before kissing Angela's and then walking towards the ballroom. I stared after him.

"Why do you stare at him like so?" asked Angela, following my gaze. I shook my head.

"I'm not sure. He just looks so familiar, but I can't figure out where he could be from." I shook my head again and started to greet the next guest that came through the door.

Three minutes later, I saw the most beautiful sight that I had ever seen. The duke was standing in the doorway in a black suit and a black mask. His bronze hair was blown by the light breeze, and his green eyes sparkled. Even though this was a masquerade party and he had a mask on, I could recognize him easily.

He descended down the stairs a little too slowly for my liking, but at least that meant that I got to look at him for a longer amount of time.

When he reached the end of the stairs, he slowly picked my hand up and bent over to kiss it. His lips lingered there for a moment longer than perhaps they should've, and I fought to stop the shiver that was about to give me away. He stared into my eyes as he kissed my hand, and then he broke his gaze by turning to Angela. She remembered to speak to him, immediately making me feel dumb. I had forgotten.

When the duke had kissed her hand, he sent a glance at me so fleetingly that I wasn't sure if it had existed.

"I think the duke likes you," Angela whispered to me once he was out of earshot. I gave her a confused look and she sighed. "Did you not see the way he looked at you? It was obvious that he had some sort of emotion swirling around in his heart."

"But," I objected, "he probably doesn't even know that it's me. I am in a mask, after all, and he wouldn't be expecting a servant to be attending this ball, so he probably just thought I was some woman that looked pretty."

"Oh, I'm not sure. He looked as if he recognized you. Recognized you as someone he really likes you."

I couldn't stop the shiver of pleasure that ran down my spine at those words. But I shook my head, still stubborn. "I don't think so. If he knew it was me, he wouldn't act like that. I am a servant, after all."

Angela just smiled and shook her head.

We waited for a couple more minutes, but no one else showed up. We figured all the guests that were going to come came. And that was good, for there were already many people here.

"To the ball, Bella?" Angela asked, sticking out her elbow in an over exaggerated manner.

"Of course," I replied, linking my arm through hers. We giggled for no real reason down the hallway until we got to the ballroom door, where we walked through with our arms to our sides.

We stood in the doorway in an awkward silence, unsure what to do. We both were not brave enough to go ask a nobleman to dance, but there wasn't that much else we could do. So we stood next to the door, glancing around in a nervous way.

Two minutes later, a man came up to us. He had sandy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. He was wearing a dark red mask with his attire, matching a flower that was pinned onto his shirt. His lips were drawn into a small smile, and he was looking towards Angela, who blushed and looked down at the floor.

The music from the orchestra in the corner had stopped, and the instrumentalists were all turning their pages for the next song.

"Would you like to dance, Miss?" he addressed Angela, who looked up, shocked, and blushed a deeper red. He held out his hand for her to take.

"I would love to," Angela breathed, taking his hand and letting him guide her to the dance floor. I smiled after them and continued to stand at the door.

After a minute, Sophia came to my side. She had been helping with the drinks and coats and those kinds of things. "Look Bella," she began. "I apologize. It was stupid of me to try to take your gown and mask. I…I just really wanted to go, and I wasn't thinking straight. Can you forgive me?"

I smiled a small smile at her. "I forgive you. As long as you don't pester me any more about my visits with the duke."

"Deal." She smiled back at me and walked towards a man who was calling for her to take his coat and put it on the coat rack. I watched her go for a second and then turned my gaze back to the dance floor. I was surprised to see the familiar noble from earlier walking towards me.

As he walked over towards me, he smiled a little. "Who are you, to be at this party yet speaking with the servants?"

I was shocked for a moment before I answered. His voice was even more familiar than how he looked, and it stirred my curiosity. How did I know him?

"I am someone that feels a little out of place." He laughed at that, and I weakly joined in. It was the full truth for me, but to him it must've seemed like a joke.

"Well, would you like to dance?" he asked, holding out his hand like the other man did for Angela.

"Sure," I grinned, taking his hand. Somehow, this stranger gave me confidence, and I was not afraid to be on the dance floor.

As we reached the middle of the dance floor, the song turned just a little bit livelier, and the familiar stranger started to be a little less cautious. He twirled me around numerous times – each time I spun back to face him I ended up stepping on his toes – and even attempted a dip once. It didn't work out too well, but it left me feeling exhilarated. As we danced, laughing, my gaze fell on the lady that this man came with – the girl from the portrait. What had Edward said? That they were married?

The lady was looking at us, her face a little sad, but otherwise curious. I saw a flash of jealousy in her eyes, but it was gone just as soon as it had come. I immediately felt guilty.

"Is your wife okay with us dancing?" I asked, inclining my head towards the lady who was still watching us.

"I believe so," he answered, looking at her and giving her a smile. "She just doesn't like it when I'm not with her. It makes her feel a little uneasy."

I was puzzled at that, but I did not comment. It was understandable. I would be uneasy if my husband was away from me, especially if he was dancing with another woman.

The song ended, and I slipped away from the familiar stranger. "Thank you," I thanked him. "I haven't danced like that in a long time."

"You're welcome." He kissed the back of my hand and walked back to his wife. She immediately put her hand around his waist and looked over at me. I nodded my head in acknowledgement and walked over to sit on one of the comfortable chairs.

I looked around the dance floor for Angela. I saw her dancing with the same man as before, her face in a small smile, but I could tell that she was trying to get away. She didn't seem comfortable. The man twirled her around, and when she was facing him, he brought her closer to him. Angela's smile dropped.

I watched them with curiosity. After a little while, I was brought out of the reverie by a smooth voice. "Would you like to dance?"

Startled, I turned around a little more quickly than normal, only to find the duke himself standing next to my chair with his hand out for me to take.

"Don't say that you can't dance," he warned me. "I saw you dancing with that other man over there."

For once, I was glad that this was a masquerade dance and that I had a mask over my face. The duke wouldn't offer to dance with me if he knew who it really was.

I took his hand, caught off guard once again by the tingles that flew up my arm. But I smiled a warm smile at the duke, happy just to be holding his strong hand.

"I would love to."

**Okay, I know I'm a little evil to leave it there. But hey, this chapter **_**is**_** just six words away from being 3,700 words long. And that's not counting the author's notes. So be happy, okay?**

**Leah, I've been listening to your mix that has about twenty songs for the whole chapter. The song that I ended this chapter on was "Come What May". Isn't it perfect? Anyway, thanks for the inspiration!**

**French words:**

_**Bonjour**_** – Hello  
**_**Mademoiselle **_**– single woman  
**_**S'il vous plait **_**– ****if you please ; please  
_Ces gants bleu-la _- those blue gloves there  
**_**C'est parfait **_**–**** it's perfect  
**_**Merci**_** – thank you  
**_**A bientôt **_**– ****See you soon  
**_**Au revoir et merci**_**– Goodbye and thank you**

**And, since my lovely friend Jules points out that dropping a review might break it, please glide, slide, send, fly, mail, or place a review! Can we get to 100 my lovely readers? Please and thank-you!**


	9. Unmistakable Beauty

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews!!!! I've got 102. You guys should thank Kiren-Dar for getting to 100 and making me work on this chapter to get it out to you guys. This would've come out yesterday, but I was over baby-sitting the neighbors' kid. After she went to sleep it was two and a half hours of pure boredom… But anyway, this chapter's a little shorter than the last two or three (sorry about that), but at least it's longer than the length I used to write! Enjoy reading!**

**Bella**

The duke smiled at me and helped me stand. I was sure that I would make a fool of myself by dancing with him, but tried not to let my fear show. It must've worked well enough, for the duke didn't comment.

As Edward led me out to the middle of the dance floor, the orchestra started to change songs again. They started playing the music after a minute or two, and a calm but fun melody came from the instruments.

Edward bowed before holding out his hand for me to take again and I giggled while sliding my hand back into his. As soon as he was standing up straight again, the duke pulled me towards him with the arm that he had put around my waist, and I focused mainly on controlling my breathing.

The song started to quicken, and before I knew it, the duke was twirling me around in circles before pulling me close to him once again, only to drop me into a dip or spin me around again after a few seconds. The dance made me more energetic and I found that I was having more fun dancing than I had expected. I had only stepped on Edward's toes three times.

As the song ended, the duke twirled me one last time before pulling me almost right next to him and just looking right at me. Both of us were breathing heavily, but neither of us minded. We just stood there and stared at each other for an immeasurable moment of time. I stared into his sparkling green eyes, greedily drinking in the sight that this proximity gave me, and one that I would never get again.

Finally, the duke slid away from me to bow and then kiss my hand. Once again, his lips lingered for a second longer than necessary before her pulled away, walking towards Tanya, who was beckoning for him with her hand.

I slowly walked back to the chairs and sat in one next to Angela, who was sitting nervously, her face flushed. I was in a daze from the last moment of our dance, and I almost fell out of the chair when I tried to sit in it. Angela giggled at me and I just flushed red.

"How was dancing with the duke?" she queried.

"I'm sure you saw," I answered, giving her a small, questioning smile.

"Yes, I did. I'm quite sure that he likes you now." I glared at that statement.

"Don't give me false hope," I muttered to myself, sure that Angela couldn't hear me. Yet apparently, my voice wasn't low enough.

"What was that?" she asked. The way she smirked at me made me sure that she had heard me, but she had still asked.

"Not a thing," I groaned, dropping my now red face into my hands. I decided to change the subject. "How was your dance?"

Angela's face turned five shades paler and she looked a little queasy. "Not…not too bad. He just…oh, I must speak the truth! It was disastrous. He kept pulling me closer, and he wasn't treating me the way a woman should be treated. And I…he scared me. The horrible look in his eyes…"

Tears gathered in her eyes and I gave her a pat on the shoulder. I tried to comfort her as best as I could whilst trying not to draw attention to the crying girl. But I couldn't comfort her for too long, for another man came up to me and asked me to dance. He was a little shorter than most of the men here and he was almost bald, but I took his hand just the same. I might as well enjoy the dancing while it lasts.

I danced with many other men as well. Some of them were around my age and they seemed to be trying to impress me, but I saw them all the same – strangers that I was dancing with at a ball. Some were older men, and they had just wanted to dance with me for fun. None of them were too great at dancing, but it was fun. It reminded me of my father.

And then, as the sun started to set, I said good-bye to one of the many men I had danced with and slipped back to the chairs. I watched as Angela danced with one of the men our age. He was much shorter than her and it was giving her a hard time to spin, but she looked like she was enjoying it nonetheless. I wished for her sake that one day she would find him again.

As I looked around, I saw the man that Angela had danced with walking towards us. Angela had been right. His eyes seemed to burn into your own and he walked with a prowl, his movements seeming as if he was stalking prey.

As he approached us, he completely ignored Angela and stuck his hand out toward me.

"Would you like to dance?" As he said this, my eyes flickered slightly to Angela, who hadn't noticed the man's presence, or perhaps she was ignoring him. The man's eyes locked with mine and my spine tingled. I raised my shaking hand up to meet his, and once our hands were joined, he pulled me up a little too harshly, so that I tripped and fell into him. An arm wrapped around my waist, securing me in an upright position. And yet the stranger didn't let go.

"I think of that as a positive answer," he whispered in my ear before leading me towards the dance floor. The distance between us didn't lengthen as he led me to the dance floor. Once we got to our destination, the man spun me around so that I was facing him, my face only inches from his. His arm tightened around my waist as he pulled me into him.

"Now," he whispered in my ear, "we dance."

Such a complicated series of twists and dips and strides I have never performed in my life. And every time I twirled, the man would just pull me back against him once more. By the end, I was breathing heavily and his finger was right under my chin. His cruel eyes bore into mine, and he didn't break his gaze. "Shall we dance again?"

He didn't let me answer, but instead pulled me into another sequence of dance moves that left me tripping over his feet.

"By the way," he breathed in my ear, sending shivers down my spine, "my name is James."

Then he dipped me so low that I was sure I was going to hit the ground. And yet, my head still remained in good condition and I was pulled up right back into James. The song ended there, the last note floating in midair, but James didn't let go. My chest was pressed up right against his as he leaned down to touch his lips to mine, not thinking about behaving like a gentleman at all. His smelly breath fanned over my face right as his lips were only an inch away from mine.

And then James was pulled back as a hand came in contact with his shoulder.

"May I please have the privilege of dancing with this beautiful lady?" The voice was none other than the duke's. His words thrilled me, but I forced myself from smiling too wide – I had a mask on, and he would not know that it was me behind it.

I nodded mutely as James glowered and picked up my hand to kiss it. His lips grazed over the thin glove I was wearing and then he turned around and left without saying a word.

"Thank you," I whispered to the duke.

"You're quite welcome." As he said this, he grabbed my right hand in his left and placed his own right hand on my waist. The spot that his hand rested on was burning with a wonderful sensation and the feeling of his hand in mine made me smile.

The orchestra started playing a soft, slower melody, and our movements slowed down as well. The duke had long strides and I had to slide back a few times to move out of his path. At one point, he twirled me around so that it looked as if we were in slow motion, and the bottom of my dress fanned out a tiny bit. As I came back to face Edward, he pulled me closer to him and, unlike when I was with James, it made me feel splendid. As I took each step, my eyes never strayed from his own, and he didn't break the connection either.

As we danced, the duke started to make small talk. "What connection with Tanya have you that made her invite you?"

I smiled a small smile at the question. It held a piece of important information: Edward didn't know it was me, so my appearance was keeping up. That, and I wouldn't have to worry about making a fool of myself.

"I am a friend," I answered cautiously. "We have become closer and she now confides in me for most things. It was out of courtesy and friendship that she invited me tonight." It was close enough to the truth. I had to bend it a little to keep up the act, but I was sure she wouldn't mind. After all, it was either that I told this story or her guests would know she had invited a servant. I was sure she would choose the last.

"Hmm," he speculated, seeming to take in my story. His brilliant eyes seemed to be a portal to a far-off world – the world that he was using to think right now. As he thought, he effortlessly led me across the dance floor, his hand upon my waist sending a magnificent thrill through me. I was grateful that I hadn't stepped on his toes. "And what title or occupation have you been given?"

His question struck fear in me. I was a terrible liar, and I would not be able to convincingly tell him that I was a countess or a duchess or even say that I was a higher status of what I was and sound truthful. I would have to make due with what used to be the truth.

"I am of a lower status than Tanya here. I wasn't born into the rankings of a duchess or countess or even too fair of a Lady. My mother was a seamstress that used to make most extravagant gowns, much likes the ones ladies here are wearing. I was taught of the art before she passed, as was my brother with my father's occupation. But my father passed as well. He passed with my mother."

I smiled thinking of my mother. She had used to take me out to balls like this, starting when I was thirteen. Of course, there was almost never anyone my age to dance with, and if there was, they were most likely conceited snobs. Sometimes I danced with Jasper, and sometimes, when Jasper was off dancing with another girl, I would sit and watch the adults dance. And every now and then a man would come and ask for a dance, just to be polite. They were usually quite nice.

"And do you live with your brother then?" The duke inquired. I was glad that he had spoken, or else I would've been leaking many tears. As it was, my eyelids were brimming with liquid.

Edward twirled me around and then pulled me close enough that I could see the almost invisible golden specks in his eyes. I stared into the emeralds as I spoke. "No, my brother is gone as well. I believe he is happily married, though I cannot be sure for I haven't seen him in quite some time."

Drops of liquid fell from my eyes as I remembered my brother. The duke pulled his hand away from my waist to wipe them off of my cheeks. I smiled a sad smile up at him as he put his hand back on my waist.

When the song came to a slower section, the duke started to dip me. But to stay in time with the music, every second that I dropped made me pass through no more than three centimeters of air. As I got closer to the floor, my left foot started to lift up into the air. By the time I had completed my descent, my foot was close to the duke's shin. I looked up from my position to find Edward looking down at me, his green eyes shining as he stared into mine.

And then he pulled me back up, his eyes never disconnecting with mine, in the same pace that he dipped me. But this time, the speed was agonizing; I wanted to come closer to those eyes, that face, him. But I was coming up so slowly, and it was creating time for that inner desire to stir.

I finally came back up to a standing position where I could better gaze into his eyes. We just stood there, letting the other dancers twirl and step to the music, for what seemed like eternity, neither of us breaking the gaze.

And then, out of nowhere, the duke lifted our connected hands and lightly pushed my waist; he was trying to twirl me. I obliged, my left foot spinning a wide circle around my right. As I turned back towards him, the corner of his mouth lifted up into a smile as he started to step forwards again.

"You really are a great dancer, Miss," Edward complimented me. I was shocked for a moment – I had never really been able to dance – but I tried to reply all the same.

"Thank you. You really are a good dancer yourself D-Sir." I was a little scared that I would slip up on the identity thing and call him Duke. That wouldn't have made Tanya happy at all – in more ways than one.

Edward nodded his head in thanks as he danced. Then, as the song drifted into the Coda, he took his right hand, which had been on my waist, and used it to take my left hand off his shoulder. Instead of just brushing it away, however, he held onto my left hand. Then he started to twirl me into a half-circle, crossing my arms over my chest so that they stayed clasped in his. The duke pulled me closer to his chest, and my breathing quickened because of our proximity. I was trapped against the duke's form, his hands being my chains.

His head bowed down so that his lips were next to my ear. My breathing turned shallow. "I know it's you, Bella." My breath hitched, and a small gasp escaped my lips. "I could never mistake such beauty."

He lifted his head away, leaving me to try and collect myself. Edward chuckled a small chuckle, and when the last note of the melody ended, he slipped his hands from mine and glided away, leaving his last line in my head.

_I could never mistake such beauty._

**Tanya**

I spent a good portion of the night dancing with mysterious strangers – of course, they weren't really strangers, but behind their masks, I wasn't quite sure who was who. Some of the time, I could figure out who they were, but a good portion of the men I was not able to place, which really was a shame; I wanted to know who they were.

I watched Bella and Angela from a distance sometimes. Angela seemed to be a little timid, afraid of the nobles. It wasn't helping much with the charade, but nobody seemed to notice. She had danced with James first. He was a fine man, very handsome and well built, but she had seen through that right away. I was glad for that – I didn't need anyone going through what I went through. But it was clear, if you watched close enough, that Angela didn't belong in this type of society. At least no one noticed.

Bella was a different story. She actually seemed to be doing well at this kind of thing. I had known that before she had come to my doorstep to find a place to work and live that she was of a higher status than a servant. But I hadn't known exactly what ranking she was. Yet it was clear now that she had been of a high enough ranking to attend a ball or two, perhaps more – the way she fit easily into this crowd made it seem as if she was well experienced. She had danced with almost as many men as I had tonight, and I heard most of them complimenting her. Some I had even caught whispering that if they knew who she was, they would try to court her. I knew that I was becoming a little jealous.

Bella seemed to be perfectly fine with this arrangement, and I was glad. She deserved having a grand night like this after sending many messages and paying attention to me while I talked endlessly. And yet, I knew that jealousy and a little bit of anger were brewing in the pit of my stomach.

For the duke was dancing with her. He had this look in his eyes, one I knew too well. It was a look of recognition – a happy recognition, like he was overjoyed that he was seeing her here. It was the look I had always been longing to be looked upon with. And I knew that he was fully alert as to what he was doing, but that didn't mean it was necessarily good. Not for me, anyway.

This meant that Bella was an object of interest to him, and therefore a competitor to me. She was a good friend and a loyal servant as well. But she might be viewed as a threat – a threat keeping me from getting what I wanted. She was stealing Edward's attention that should be mine. It wasn't good.

I watched as she danced with Edward, both of their steps perfectly synchronized, each twist and twirl seeming to come without effort. There was an air of passion around them, and they looked right together. It looked right, but it was terribly wrong.

As he pulled her up from a dip, they stared into each other's eyes. He was looking into her deep brown eyes. She was gazing into his sparkling green ones. _My _sparkling green ones. They should be, at least.

I knew that Bella was bringing out the worst in me, and I wouldn't be able to stand it if I hurt her. I knew that I must send her out tomorrow to thank the duke for coming – it would make me look desperate, but I would not be able to keep calm around her.

And then he spun her in the opposite direction, pulling her against his chest. And in that moment my decision was made. Somehow, Bella needed to get out of my way.

**So, seriously, at the end of Tanya's portion, it turned to crap. Serious crap. Because I had been writing this, and then I left my computer for a little while, and then I started to read. And by then I wasn't able to use an older version of English and some of my ideas as to what to say had escaped me. Sorry about that.**

**And some of you have said that it's hard for you to hate Tanya. Well, here you go. I don't really think she's a total bitch at all – sure, she has a thing for Edward, but she's not bad about it. She doesn't hate Bella for it (Darn! Someone needs to actually hate Bella, not Rosalie's weird hate-but-now-it's-turned-to-friendship thing going on.) So here's your chance to almost hate her!**

**And because it went well last time, can we get to 125 reviews? Please? They make my day!**


	10. R Before S

**WARNING: This is the chapter that it is rated M for. (I switched the rating, if you didn't notice) If you do not wish to read anything that is "Mature" themed, skip down until you get passed the X's. After that it is perfectly T again. And you won't miss anything too important to the storyline.**

**Anyway! Thanks for all the reviews, guys! They make me happy! And yet, somehow I still wish for more...oh well!!!! I guess, just like any other human being, I am greedy. But hopefully you like the chapter, even if I think it's a little...well, it's not my best. So read on!**

**Bella**

I had let myself in the gate this time; I didn't feel too comfortable standing under the thick blanket of black clouds that looked ready to pour water at any time now. I was walking through the gardens - under the overhang of course - before going inside. All of the flowers looked beautiful with the small droplets of mist sprinkled on them. As I was leaning over to smell a rose, I saw Mike walking towards me. I waved to him and he jogged over.

"Have you come to deliver your millionth message, Bella?" he joked. He was right. I had been here just about a million times delivering messages, which would be bothering me, except for the fact that I got to see Edward.

His question had also made me wonder about the true reason for coming here. Sure, I knew that Tanya had wanted me to deliver a message to Edward to thank him for coming to her ball, but though she usually sent me in the afternoon, she didn't like to with the amount of rainclouds overhead being as it is now. I shook my head to clear my confusion and focused once again on Mike.

"Oh, haven't you been counting? I'm at least at four million now!" I teased, a look of phony shock crossing my face. Mike laughed and then sighed.

"Why do you put up with delivering all those annoying love messages to Sir Edward?"

"No reason," I lied, but Mike had been watching as my cheeks turned a light pink when he mentioned Edward.

"Why, Bella?" He asked. "Do you really love him? Look at him, and then look at you. I mean, you're beautiful, but he's a duke, and you're…"

"Nobody," I finished for him, but he shook his head.

"No, you're just…different. As much as you wish, don't you think it just wasn't meant to be? It's almost impossible. Couldn't you love someone else?"

I could only faintly hear his last sentence. Mike's other words shocked me and crashed over me, putting sense into my head._ "I mean, you're beautiful, but he's a duke and you're…" "Don't you think it just wasn't meant to be? It's almost impossible."_

Impossible.

Of course it was impossible! How blind I must have been to even have that small amount of hope. It was impossible. But it was impossible to love someone else! Then I remembered Mike's last question.

"Who else Mike? Who else is there? I don't know who else I could love! I work for my lady, and no one that waits on her is that of Adam. I barely know of more men than my brother, Edward, and you!"

This time it was Mike's turn to blush, and the truth dawned on me. "Mike," I sighed. "Mike, I can't. I just…I can't picture it."

"Try," he whispered. I was at loss for what he meant. But then Mike pushed me against the wall and started to bring his lips upon mine. I barely had time to register – not to mention understand – what was happening before my mouth touched his.

My hands fell against his chest, trying to push him away, but they didn't make him budge an inch, just chuckle against my lips. After two minutes, I gave up, and my hands fell uselessly to my sides.

I wanted this to all go away, for me to just wake up and realize that this was all just a horrible nightmare, but I knew that was never going to happen. I was just thankful that we weren't standing in the middle of a garden, but instead in a corner, pushed up against the castle wall. I would've died if anyone came towards where we were now, especially Edward.

Mike coaxed my lips gently open with his, and finally my mouth came wide open. His breath was tangled with mine, and I couldn't pull away. I kept my tongue to myself, and tried to keep as much of the rest of me away from Mike as well, but with no obvious success. As I backed away – as much as was possible, what with him pushing me up against the wall – Mike's tongue continued to trace my lips over again, and coated mine with one of the most disgusting flavors I had ever tasted. I was frightened to death at this point, but unable to break away.

Finally, I was able to split my lips apart from his for a split second, and tried to turn my head away. His hand, which had been leaning on the wall, grabbed the side of my face and forced me to look upon him. His rough voice came out like a demand, "Bella," before he continued to kiss me again.

This time though, something was different. His lips moved against mine more urgently, and his hands rested on the sides of my waist. Then, his hands glided ever so slightly upward before continuing in a slow pace. His hands stopped right below my breast, and they then proceeded to move to my back. I only had a second to wonder what he was doing before his hands – not at all shaky from being nervous or ashamed – started to untie the back of my servant's dress.

A gasp came from my mouth, and it instantly became part of Mike's new breath. But instead of breaking away, he mistook the gasp as one of longing, and continued to kiss me deeper still, pressing his body against mine even harder so that there was no space for even an ant between us. His hands were now beginning to untie my corset.

Never in my life had I been this scared, not even when my parents had died. Not even when I had been separated from my brother, one of the most painful days of my life. The second knot came undone.

I tried to walk to the side - the wall was against my back - but only ended up crashing down so that Mike was now on top of me and I had no escape.

My hands shoved against Mike's chest and stomach, and my feet came up to kick his legs. I couldn't scream; it would only be a part of him. And yet he didn't seem affected by any of it. If anything, his hands were quicker, untying the third knot. This was too much to bear. I was praying for God to let me out of this situation, but nothing that could help happened.

Mike slid the front of my servant's dress down to where the neckline was in line with my bellybutton and my sleeves had dropped almost to my wrists. All that was keeping my breasts from sight was the corset, and Mike was already undoing the fourth knot. The storm clouds started to pour rain that mingled with my tears.

There he stopped, not needing the corset to be any looser than it was for his job. He slid the corset down a little so that it was not so effective, but he hadn't slid it down to where it was under my breasts. Now, instead of kissing my mouth, he moved his lips to where they were right under my own and he continued to kiss me down my chin, down my neck, and on my collarbone.

I couldn't say anything, for I was trying to catch my breath after he had so forcefully kissed me. I was gulping in an air supply, happy that when I took these breaths, they weren't tainted with the scent or taste of Mike.

But I brought enough strength out of myself when Mike's lips started a slow trail down to my chest. "No, Mike. Stop." It was barely more than a breath, but he heard it.

"Why, Bella?" He growled through his teeth, yet he hadn't stopped what he was doing. He might have been slowing down a little, but I was almost positive that it was just a hopeful frame of mind that led me to thinking that. "Why do you not want this to happen? Edward can't give you what you want, but I can. Why do you have to damn me to hell? Why? Just let me love you."

With that, he gave a little tug on my corset, and the top was now just barely covering my nipple. I felt so invaded and uncomfortable, though I knew that I was not strong enough to stop this. Mike's face, because he was still leaving a trail of slimy kisses down my front, was almost pushed into my breasts, and for a second, it seemed like he nuzzled against them.

"No," I snarled. "I did not want to love you, and now I'm sure that I will never want to. You keep asking me all these questions, so here's one for you; why must you _put_ me through this hell? I am sick of you, and I do not find it at all attractive when men do_ that_ to me. Just leave me alone."

Mike didn't answer, but put his lips to mine once more. I turned my head so I could talk to him. He continued kissing me, proceeding to my neck and below. This time, it was not so slow.

"Mike, do you really want this?" He stopped right below my collarbone and tilted his head up to look at me.

"Do I want what?" His lips moved against my skin, and I shivered. His face broke out into a smug grin. "See, I told you that you would want this," he murmured.

"Why are you forcing this upon me? Do you really want to do this to me? I am already disgusted by you, and I want no part in your life. If you stop now, I may consider not telling Edward." I knew that what I was saying was a lie, but I needed to get away from him.

He looked up again to stare at me.

"Remember Edward? Your master. If he finds out about this, you will probably be fired, or worse, killed." He closed his eyes and sighed. He moved his hands to my shoulders and shoved me against the wall.

"I don't care about that. All I want is you. And even if I die, I will die knowing that one of the last things I did was love you, and that somewhere in that head of yours, you knew that you enjoyed it." At this, he started the trail again, though he was not kissing my skin. Instead, he grazed his lips over it, and I felt my eyes fill up with tears. There would be no way to stop this.

When his lips got to the top of my breasts, he started kissing my skin again. They were proceeding closer to my nipple, and he lightly tugged on the corset again so that the top was under my chest, not helping at all. My top was fully exposed. At one point, Mike bit me, and I let out a soft whimper, afraid once again. It was another signal that he mistook, and he lightly bit me again.

"Mike," I gasped, my breath turning into sobs. "Mike, please, please stop. I can't handle this."

"No, I won't stop. You need to know how much I love you." And he wasn't going to stop. He continued to lie on top of me, kissing me and touching me with no shame. His lips got closer to my nipple and he bit down again, making me bit my lip in order to stop from screaming. He planted a kiss between my breasts before he started to kiss the other one, brushing his hand over the nipple he had just bit.

As he did this, he started to let go of the ground beneath me and then all his weight was on top of me, every line of his body pressed into mine.

"Better," he sighed, kissing me again while his hands roamed over my body. I was shaking with sobs as he did this, but he didn't care.

He didn't seem too cautious as he slid my servant's dress down tow my feet, pulling the corset fully off and throwing it to the ground beside me. His pants started to slide off too, and I closed my eyes, trying to get away from the discomfort. My panties came off next, leaving me lying naked on the ground. Mike's disgusting hands roamed over my bare stomach, my hips, my thighs, and then - ever so slowly - around my womanhood. More kisses were planted on my body, invading every inch of me.

Mike slid his pants off all the way and then started to take his undergarments off while his tongue traced circles in my bellybutton. His body was left fully unclothed as well, and I turned my head away. I didn't want to look.

"See? We fit together," he whispered, and before I could ask, he slipped himself inside me, making me gasp. His bare chest pressed up against mine and he started to thrust himself into me. Every movement of his body caused me pain and I was about to cum as he continued to be connected to me.

After what seemed like an endless amount of torturous moments of pain and suffering, a figure came out of the castle and he seemed to be heading toward us. I silently wished for him to be my savior. I needed to get Mike off of me. As he came closer, I was able to identify through the swirling rain that it was Spoden, and I pleaded with my eyes for him to get Mike off of me. In a swift movement, Mike was yanked off of me, and I was left on the ground feeling dirty and worthless. This was too much.

"What are you doing?!" Spoden roared in Mike's face before throwing him to the ground. "Don't you _ever _do anything like that to a woman, especially Bella. Do you hear me?! I have to take you to the master to get you dealt with."

Spoden turned to me, his face apologetic. His eyes stayed only on my face, for which I was grateful. But I still felt uncomfortable. "I'll send someone out as soon as I can. Hold on." I nodded at him and watched as he dragged Mike away.

I lay in the same spot, shocked and afraid to the point of being petrified. I curled up into a ball and immediately got covered in mud. The cold made me shiver violently, but I wasn't in any state to let that get to me. I stayed there for about ten more minutes until I saw another figure walking towards me. On a closer inspection, I found that it was a large woman holding a thick blanket.

"Oh dear," she exclaimed as she saw me, and she started walking faster towards me, engulfing me in the wet blanket when she got close enough. Though it did little to keep me warm, I was thankful for the protection it provided - I had my privacy envaded enough for one day.

The lady picked up my servant's dress before scooping me up in her strong arms and carrying me to the castle. I cried harder as we walked through the rain, and the woman kept sending me pitying glances. I closed my eyes, but all I could see was Mike and my eyes shot open again.

We finally got to a door in the back of the estate, and another woman opened it and ushered us inside.

"Send for Lydia to draw a bath full of hot water. This one's been out in the rain for quite a while with nothing to cover her, and she might be sick. Hurry up." The other woman scuttled off, glancing over her shoulder right before she turned down the hall.

"Don't worry, dear, we'll get you cleaned up and into fresh clothes soon enough." Her kind black eyes held a warm soul, and I relaxed a tiny bit. She placed me on a small chair and went to throw my servant's dress on top of a pile of clothes before picking up the basket that held the pile and walking away. I waited until the second lady came back and then silently followed her back down the hall.

X X X X X X X

I gazed out the window, which still displayed rain pouring down in sheets. The storm showed no sign of stopping soon, though it had been going on for hours - long enough for me to bathe and dress into new clothes with plenty of time to spare. A servant had drawn a warm bath, which felt awkward because I was used to being the one drawing the bath, not having the bath drawn. Then I had come out to see a dark blue sleeping set, though I was supposed to go back to Tanya after the storm let up, along with a new set of underwear. I had put that on a little reluctantly; I didn't like receiving things from people, especially without a holiday to go with them. Now I was in the sitting room, waiting for the rain to let up.

Edward had come in earlier, asking how I was and apologizing. I hadn't understood why he felt he had to apologize, but I was grateful for it all the same; it was nice to know that he cared.

A clap of thunder broke out and sent me cowering against the sofa. The storm was getting worse. Another loud boom confirmed my suspicion; the storm was getting worse instead of letting up and I was stuck here.

A grandmotherly-looking woman, who I believed to be the cook, bustled into the room with a steaming cup of hot tea and a blanket.

"Here you go, dear," she adressed me. "How are you feeling?"

I gave her a small, sad smile. "Thank you for the dress," I whispered. She seemed to get the fact that I wasn't up to talking much.

"I'm sorry for what happened today. Always knew that boy was trouble," she tsked, shaking her head. "Sleep, hon. It'll help take your mind off of such things."

I smiled as she walked out of the room, pulling the blanket around me. I didn't go to sleep, though; it would only give me nightmares.

I took a sip of the tea. It tasted like apples and cinnamon. Delicious. My head turned to stare out the window again. The lightning would flash, creating a brilliant strip of light before the thunder would rumble its disapproval and darken the sky and the mood once again. It reminded me of the internal battle I was having at the moment.

The lightning was like my desire - I wished for the duke to be mine, as irrational as it was. I _wanted_ to be at his mercy, for him to do what he wanted to do with me. I would go along with it as if it was the best thing in the world. But then came the thunder - that longing would get me into immense trouble. Even if the duke liked me a little, nothing would work out and everything would go up in chaos. It wouldn't work. And yet I was trapped here under his roof for the time being, though I had no place here. I had no place with Edward. So it seemed the thunder won.

With that decision made and the tea cup emptied, I found myself falling asleep. Right as my dreams took off, I was lifted and taken away.

**Marissa (A servant)**

I tiptoed out into the hallway, leaving the door to my master's room open, the way it had been before I had come in.

Sometimes when I was cleaning in this wing of the estate, I crept into the master's room to look inside. I always looked at the small, hand-crafted wooden animals that rested on top of the drawers and his study tabel. I also liked to study the paintings in there every now and then, when I had enough time. My favorite was a portrait of the duke's family, but he had that taken down some time ago. Now there was another portrait, and this time there was another man. Though he was handsome, he was nothing compared to the duke.

Most of the female servants here would kill for the chances I got to go into the duke's quarters, for all of them were as much in love with him as I was. There were other servants that got to dust and clean this wing, but the ones that did either were older or just didn't fancy him too much. Sometimes I wondered if he had specifically picked out the servants to clean this wing because they wouldn't try to get into his things. But he had made a slip-up with that plan for choosing me, not that I minded.

I glided down the hallway for fifty yards until I almost ran into somebody. Startled, I fell onto the floor.

"Sorry," I apologized, quickly scampering up and dusting off my dress. I then chose to look up and was startled to see that it was the duke I had just made a fool of myself in front of. I was horrified.

"It's fine," he assured me, only barely paying attention. It was then that I took notice to the form in his arms. And yet it wasn't just a bundle of sheets or blankets or towels. Instead, it was the messenger that was sent by Lady Tanya almost every day. Her brown hair fell over her plain face and her pink lips jutted out a little as she took each breath. I didn't see why she captured the duke's attention instead of me.

Jealousy washed over me as I watched the duke walk, carrying the messenger, back down the hallway. This girl had snatched up the duke's heart in a matter of months while the rest of us had been trying for years to even get the master to give us a second glance, not to mention remember our names. The messenger wasn't even pretty, and I hadn't noticed any kind of charm that she might posses. Then again, she _had_ been sleeping.

I followed the duke down the hallway, leaving a good fifty paces between us and making sure to take each step lightly. As silent as the shadows, I watched as he turned into his room. My eyes widened and my curiosity peaked. Sir Edward had left the door open a tiny bit, and I slipped onto my knees to peek through the crack.

I watched as he lay the sleeping girl on top of his bed, placing a thick blanket over her. He kissed her forefead and walked toward the washroom.

I turned away from the door and walked briskly down the hallway. I didn't want to watch the rest.

**Okay, so I was writing the rough draft of the rape part on our downstairs computer, and my dad was in the room with me. He left _after_ I wrote all of the stuff with Mike, so I felt really embarrassed/uncomfortable with him in there, but at least it wasn't my mom. Hehe…he. *blush***

**And so here was chapter ten! Hopefully it wasn't too blech, as my friend Gio would say. (I'm calling it my monkey that eats pomegranets in some kind of fruit tree...I forget which.) Hopefully it wasn't too bad for you, and I would love it if you sent a review! Thanks! =D**

**P.S. I posted two one-shots about a week and a half ago, but I forgot to tell you guys in the last chapter. Go check them out!**


	11. Runaway

**Okay, I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, **_**SO**_** sorry about not writing in such a long time!! Honestly, I just couldn't find inspiration and did not tell you guys, so I am so terribly sorry. Hopefully you can forgive me for leaving you.**

**But I'm here now, ready to give you a chapter (hopefully good enough to calm you down enough). And as an added bonus, I'm posting a one-shot later tonight, so keep your eyes open for that.**

**Bella**

I woke up to the sound of someone breathing in my ear. Or was I in another dream? No, the dreaming had started as I entered the realm of sleep, though it still felt like I was conscious when I was floating. I had woken up various times during the night, each after having a flash of Mike hovering over me or the feel of white-hot waves flowing through my body. There was never any light when I had woken up, but I had always felt like there was something near me; something holding me down so that I couldn't escape, though I tried running away. Running and running and running and running…

I felt it now. I must be dreaming again. But why, after all that running towards the comforting sleep, had I been pulled back? I had no idea, but I knew for sure that I had been pulled back. Literally. My back crashed against something solid – a boulder perhaps – though it still seemed almost soft as I was pressed up against it. The same _whooshing _sound was heard and a light breeze seemed to warm my ear. I was afraid to open my eyes. Then I realized that the solid rock I was being pressed against was moving ever so slightly and the iron chains around my waist that bound me to the rocks were almost soft, too. They seemed to…_relax_ every time the sticky air blew against the side of my face and my ear. And they were _warm_. Not warm like metal chains that had just been put over a fire or like the bread my mother used to bring to the house fresh from the baker's. Instead, it seemed as warm as when my cheeks flushed. It was not as much as when I said something embarrassing in front of the duke, yet not so little as when I stumbled lightly over something in the hallway and Angela was there. They were just warm. I tried to move my arms to feel them, but I couldn't move. I squirmed to free my right arm, but the chains just pulled me closer to the almost-soft rock, the force of their grip becoming stronger.

I was frightened, but confused. The world was black, and all I could feel was the hard rock and the chains binding me to it. Mike wasn't here as he had been in my other dreams, but maybe that was the point. There was nothing for me; no help, no companions, nothing to call my own. It was just me, useless and too weak to fight as I was captured and forced to stay in one spot as I was stripped of everything I had – my peers, my personal items, my personality; _me_.

Nobody came to help me, but a faint glow lit up the whole world for a split-second, making the whole world one shade lighter and causing multi-colored lights to streak across my vision. My senses heightened and suddenly I was more aware of my surroundings. Though my back was pressed against something solid and hard, my left side felt as if it was against nothing – just still air that seemed empty of any elements. My right side, however, felt as if it was resting on something softer than anything I had ever felt and my feet had a heavy material resting on them, as warm as the substance my right side was resting against. The chains around my waist tightened for a moment and the breeze tickled my ear.

"_Bella_," it breathed before the chains relaxed.

Everything seemed so realistic, and I was beginning to think I wasn't dreaming. I scratched my thigh with my long fingernails. It hurt a lot – I had possibly broken skin – but it didn't bring me out of the state I was in. I started to peel open my eyes. My left eye opened a sliver and a muted light came through my vision, making shapes appear. It was so unusual that if I wasn't sure I was awake, I would've thought that my mind was able to conjure up many magnificent images. It was all so strange. A red chair sat a little to the left of my vision and behind it was a giant window, covered with black curtains that matched the wooden legs on the chair. The walls were a muted gold with black stripes and the wood was almost black as well. The room seemed grand for all that I could tell.

I then realized that the iron chains were still around my waist. But they weren't iron, for I could feel them against my arms and they felt softer than iron; warmer. I looked down and saw that they were colored like flesh. No, they _were_ flesh. Someone was holding me here. I immediately panicked, all the memories of yesterday flooding back to me, and I tried to wriggle out of the grasp of my unknown captor. I only succeeded in making him grasp me tighter, almost to the point that I couldn't breathe. I struggled against the hold, panicking as my breathing quickened, debating whether or not I wanted to see the face of the man who held me to him. I carefully turned in his arms so that I was facing him, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath before I was given my answer. I hesitantly opened my eyes, surprised to see who it was.

His lips were the first thing my eyes met – in sleep, they were parted slightly, and his sweet breath blew onto my face every time he let out a breath. His messy bronze hair was in even more disarray than ever, and it stuck up in various angles. His eyelids were closed over his bright green orbs, and the serious expression that usually pushed his brows closer together was wiped off his face, leaving it looking peaceful. And, even while sleeping, he looked almost like an angel, and I wanted to touch his face.

But then the situation caught up with me and I became frightened. I had been raped not twenty hours ago, and here Edward was, trapping me to him. It brought back a fresh round of horrid memories and silent tears, but even worse was the fact that this meant that we might as well have been sleeping together. Had he no _respect_?

I quickly wriggled out of his arms, scared as to what the intention of the duke's actions might have been. The blanket that had been on top of my feet slid onto the floor and got trampled as I stepped over it. I looked at myself, only to see almost every inch of me covered in bruises and then acknowledging the pain that I felt everywhere. My legs could barely hold me, but there was no way of knowing whether or not the duke had contributed to it. I was scared and the fact that the duke could've taken advantage of me as well was the only reason that I was strong enough to keep going out of the room – yet I had every wish to pound that torturously beautiful face of his. After all, he _was_ without a shirt, though I had no idea about what lay under the sheets. I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.

I scurried as quickly as I could out of the room and down the marble stairs, my steps echoing throughout the halls. I passed by many of the household members, including Spoden, who I paid no attention to, and I gave the rest of them the same treatment as well. Until I came to the lady who had brought me in from last night, I talked to no one.

"Where did you put my dress?" I asked her, already heading to the large tub of water used to clean the clothes.

"It is here, but I'm afraid it's not quite dry yet," she explained. I shook my head, not caring whether or not it was dry.

"I do not mind. I just need to get going." I hurriedly took off my sleepwear for the night, my arms aching in the process, leaving the underwear still on, and changed into my servant's dress. The water that was still left on the fabric made the dress cling to my figure and I shivered at the temperature of the droplets that trailed down my back.

"Thank you," I whispered as I thrust the nightgown into her hands. I then bolted through the door and ran outside. I angled my head away from the gardens, but it was no use – the memories came back as painful as a kick in the gut. The staggering pain in my legs did as well.

As I ran, I became aware of the world around me. The sun was just barely breaking through the horizon, and the clouds were no longer dark and heavy like they had been just yesterday evening. The baker was coming into his shop when I passed him, but I did not return his greeting; I just wanted to get home.

Almost nobody was up yet, and those who were were just turning on their candles. I kept my head down, bowed against the fierce winds, and ran all the way to my home. I ran through the gate of Miss Tanya's estates, almost sprawling to the ground when my toe caught on the uneven stones.

As soon as I got into the building, I slammed the door shut, aware of the echoes that it and my footsteps made. Sophia was coming out of our chambers as I ran in and tried to ask me something, though I could think of nothing but the immense relief I felt when I finally fell onto the bed and my legs no longer had to support me.

I started to sob – huge, heaving sobs that made my body shake. The state of my clothes did nothing to help, and my tears only made my dress wetter. Sophia stood in the doorway, torn between whether to comfort me or go to her job. In the end, she disappeared from the doorway and came back a few moments later with Angela at her side. Angela scurried over to where I was and tried to soothe me, though no amount of whispered calming words could pull me out of my condition. So she just stayed there, helping me get through the moment until I had no more tears to cry. Finally, when I had almost gotten my breathing under control, she helped me out of my wet servant's dress and into dry clothes, brushing the knots out of my hair as I sat down on the bed.

"Bella, dear, what happened?" She asked innocently, though the flashes that came to mind were anything but innocent. Pictures of Mike hovering over me, pounding into me, and almost breaking me were becoming too much to bear. I started to shake, and she put a light hand on my shoulder, calming me with the touch. I gulped down air and shook my head, trying to dispel the images at the same time as telling Angela I didn't want to talk. She understood.

We sat there for another hour while I tried to calm down, eventually dropping my head on Angela's shoulder and falling asleep.

When I woke up, it was dark outside, with the sun just peeking out over the horizon. Was it dusk or was it dawn? I didn't know, but I didn't want to sleep in fear of another nightmare. Luckily I had been so exhausted and had a dreamless sleep for the most part, but a little while before I woke up, images had come to me in my dreams again, though they had been twisted to be much worse than the real act Mike had committed. I did not want to enter that realm again.

So I settled on pulling out my trunk to read the letter my mother had given me before she died. She had known that the sickness she was catching was fatal and that there was no cure, so she had written a letter that I found on her bedside table when she had been discovered dead. I kept it with me everywhere I went. I opened up the folded paper and began to read.

_Dearest Isabella,_

_My life is about to end. Charles knows it, Jasper knows it, you know it, and I know it. It's a definite fact. But I couldn't leave the world without letting you know this: I hadn't ever planned on having a second child, and when you came, our lives were then woven into an even more complicated strand. Your father barely had enough money to support the three of us without you, though we made it seem like enough was available so that you and Jasper didn't have to worry. But when you came along, things were even harder, and he resented the fact that we had you, therefore not acting as cheerful around you as he did with everyone else. But he loved you. He just decided to let the more bitter side of him win when it came to deciding how to act around you. But we both loved you; our little ray of unexpected sunshine. Find somebody who can keep that light alive so that we can watch it glow from Heaven._

_Renée_

A tear rolled down my face at the thought of my loving, though slightly scatter-brained mother. She loved me and wanted me to be happy. But if there was even a scintilla of hope that the person I loved could love me back, it was gone now. For I didn't really know if I could trust him any more and the thought of going back was too frightful to consider, at least for now. The memories would be too strong.

X X X X X X X

The months passed; long, dragged out days that turned into weeks which in turn turned into months. Miss Tanya had tried, with no success, to get me out of the room the first week. I had been permanently glued to the bed, only leaving it when I needed to relieve myself. By the third week, I finally slipped down the stairs to Miss Tanya's room to find her babbling away at the servant that was making her bed; the servant didn't look interested in the least.

It was then that I had started talking to her again – or she was talking at least. I merely nodded at the things she said. Flinching was a normal occurrence as I wasn't sure that the duke was as wonderful as she made him seem any more; though the bruises weren't there, the memories still were.

She never seemed to notice, though, and every day seemed longer than the next when she talked repeatedly about certain qualities of the duke.

Miss Tanya had also urged me to go back and take a message to the duke, though I wouldn't. I wasn't in the mood to ever tell her why, either, and the longer I had been listening, the more impatient she became. I knew she sent other messengers after a while, but they had all been sent away again; except for the first, who reported that the duke had, in fact, come out to see her, but had not been allowed to speak to him again after the first time. I wondered why. Perhaps he thought her pretty, even though he only saw her once. For some reason, the thought stung.

So I spent my days in Miss Tanya's room or my own chambers, where Angela would come and comfort me if she heard me crying. She was the only one in the estates that knew of what had happened – even Sophia and Marie could not hear what we were talking about when Angela came in the room. I was glad; the Queen of Rumors and her equal wouldn't be able to keep it to themselves.

Maybe, one day, I would tell them. And maybe, one day, I would be able to go back to Edward.

**Edward**

I woke up to something tickling my nose. It felt like a hair. Bella's hair? She was still here, and that made me smile against the back of her head…except that her head wasn't there. I focused on my arms and they felt empty. My eyes flew open and I found that Bella indeed wasn't in the room any more. I surveyed the room: the door was left wide open; the sheets on the bed no longer pressed in by her shape or warm because of her body heat; the blanket I had placed over her thrown onto the floor and in a messed-up heap; even the sheets that she had not been under were in a different position than they had been and barely covered up my lower half. At least I hadn't gone to bed naked.

I slowly slid over to the other side of the bed and picked up the blanket that was left on the floor. I thought for a second before holding it up to my nose and inhaling slightly. Yes, it still smelt like her; like freesias and summer fruit; like heaven. The warmth her body would've added onto the heat from the blanket was gone, though, and it was sprinkled with dirt. I would have to have Catherine wash it. I immediately started to descend the stairs, unconsciously looking for any other signs that Bella might have been here. None were apparent, though I doubted she would've wanted to tilt every little picture sideways just because she could.

My feet took me to where Catherine was cleaning a dark blue dress. It looked like the nightgown I had lent Bella last night. On further inspection, I noticed it _was_ the nightgown I had given Bella. So much for being able to smell more of her scent.

"Oh, hello, Edward," Catherine acknowledged me. She rarely ever addressed me by my title or just Sir. It was always Edward to her. I didn't mind; she was like family to me.

"Good morning, Catherine. Are you able to wash this, please?" I held out the blanket, still eying the nightgown Catherine was holding under the water. She took the blanket from me with one of her wet hands, set it down and then followed my gaze.

"She came in this morning, poor dear." I snapped my head up and she gave me a sad, knowing smile. "Frightened as hell and seemed as if she was in a hurry, like someone or something was going to follow her. Though I guess I can't blame her. I hope you didn't do anything to scare her off, boy." She looked me straight in the eye. "She was a pretty little thing and would've been better company if she wasn't so scared."

I gulped and ducked my head, too scared to keep eye contact. I had done exactly that; scared her away. I had brought her too close after the experience she had just had and she was probably unsure of what my own intentions had been. I knew my shame was shown on my face.

"Hope she's not too frightened. Next time, Edward, you better think before you act, even if you _are_ trying to just go with your feelings." And with that, she turned around and continued to wash the nightgown, leaving me to my thoughts.

I had been just as stupid as Mike. I had scared her away for good. I remembered with perfect clarity the last time I had thought she might think I was in love with another woman and it wasn't her that I wanted.

_I was playing the song I had been writing over the few weeks I had known her, and though it was still beautiful, I knew it wasn't as perfect as the girl sitting next to me. She had her eyes closed and a small, sinful smile was planted on her lips. I was fighting with my inner, selfish self against kissing her and then she opened her eyes as I finished the song and I just about lost the battle right then._

_She wiped a few tears out of her chocolate brown eye and started to speak. "Sir-"_

_I couldn't help myself. "Call me Edward," I commanded. She looked a little surprised at first, and I hoped it was in a good way._

"_Edward, then," she continued, my name falling beautifully from her lips. "__Edward, that was beautiful. I really think that it was wonderful. And thank you so much for sharing that with me. I would really wish to see the beautiful lady that inspired you to write such a lovely composition. But I must go now. I'm afraid it's getting dark, and I must be getting home before the path is all but gone. Again, thank you, and good-bye."_

_I wanted to reach out to her, to say "Don't go! Don't ever leave!" But I didn't and instead breathed a good-bye that nobody could hear as she left the room, my heart tweaking in pain._

I had been so hurt that she thought that it was another woman and scared at the thought that it might make her more distant and my heart constricted in my chest. But the feeling I felt now was so much worse. Knowing that she wasn't coming back and that there was no chance at anything made my heart burst and then shatter into tiny pieces. I dropped my head into my hands as I sat down onto the sofa. I had made a huge mistake.

X X X X X X X

The months passed, intensely painful and dreadfully boring without _her_ to wait for. Of course, I hadn't given up hope at once; a small spark of hope had stayed, and I had clung onto it for dear life. For four weeks, Tanya didn't send a messenger at all. It was a smart move on her part in my opinion. And then, after thirty-two days of nothing, a girl finally appeared at the gates. She was tiny and had dark brown hair that fell almost down to her waist. My heart skipped a beat and I almost sprinted down to the front door, regaining a state of calm as soon as I opened it and continued to walk down the path. But by the time I had gotten halfway down the dirt path, I started noticing some characteristics that definitely didn't belong to Bella. The girl, though still small, was taller than Bella and her face was more rounded. Her skin was darker, too, and she definitely didn't blush when I connected my eyes with hers – green eyes set in a plain face. This was most certainly not Bella.

But I was too polite to just turn around now, so I continued down the path that led me to imperfection and opened the gate to speak to the new girl. Her eyes glazed over as she looked at me and she stepped closer, most likely unaware of what she was doing. I took a step back.

"What message has Tanya sent today?" I queried sharply, not succeeding in keeping my tongue in check. Her eyes widened and she looked a little frightened, but the shaky state of her voice didn't seem to be out of fear.

"Well…well, she says to tell you she loves you. And that she's sorry for not sending a messenger in a little while. And…and…" She trailed off, not thinking about the message but instead staring at me, making me quite uncomfortable.

"And…what?" I prodded. She snapped out of whatever haze she had been in and looked into my eyes again.

"And…well, I'm…I'm not quite sure." She looked down, ashamed.

I grimaced. "Then, if you have nothing else to say, you may go." I re-opened the gate and held out one arm in the direction of "out". She slowly walked outside the gate and turned around to say something more, but I had already locked the gate and was walking to the door again.

She came back the next day, though I did not go out to meet her. I allowed Spoden the pleasure of creating whatever text he wanted to tell her to leave, all the while sitting at my piano, creating a sad composition that reflected exactly what I was feeling. Spoden came to stand at the doorway for a few minutes just watching me with a sad look on his face. After a while, he vanished and I was left in my own company.

I spent many days like this. Of course, whenever someone would ring the bell at the gates, I would always scurry to the window to check if it was Bella before sauntering back to the piano bench to add another line to one of my endless compositions and allowing one of my staff to send the girl away. Tanya never got my own, silent message and kept sending an endless amount of servants to the gates, usually two to three times a week.

My shelves full of my own compositions were gathering a nice collection of dark and brooding tunes. I knew it was silly and almost wrong, I couldn't stop. Playing the piano was my way to get my feelings out.

And yet I knew that even though I played the piano, depressing moods would continue to visit me every day. The only cure was something that wasn't going to happen any time soon. The only cure was to see Bella.

**Bella**

It had been five and a half months since I had last seen Edward and though my heart still ached, the fear that consumed me was stronger. I definitely was not going back there any time soon. I was sitting in Miss Tanya's bedroom while she talked away at me, in the midst of re-organizing her gowns in her closet. A lady in an outfit that showed she was of no higher ranking than me scurried into the room and whispered something in my lady's ear. Miss Tanya stopped talking and her expression turned dark, her eyes flashing with an unknown emotion. Jealousy?

Miss Tanya whipped around to face me while the other woman scampered out of the room as quickly as she could. My lady's eyes were fixed on me in a harsh stare and I immediately pushed the stool back a little. Her mouth fixed up in a tiny, cruel smile and her face was full of an emotion that mocked sweetness.

"Are you aware that all of my other messengers have been turned away from Edward's estates since you have refused to go back, Bella?" She smiled the cruel smile again though her face was humorless – not matching her tone at all. I nodded my head weakly. "And are you aware that I have gone through almost all of my servants to send messages to him, and all of them have been sent away except for you?" Her eyes held only the fire that matched that found in the pits of Hades. I hesitantly nodded my head again.

"He's sad, Bella. Ever so sad, and I'm not sure I understand why. Apparently he sits upstairs almost all day and only ever talks to his butler, much less his brother. He's an entirely different person. So I must ask myself, _Is this all because of you?_ I honestly hope not, as I trust you. But looking back, it all fits together now." I wasn't sure what she was getting at, but I continued to watch her as she went off on me, caught in her gaze and unable to look away.

"You see, I would send you with a short message to give to the duke. It might've been longer from time to time, but it never should've taken more than a few minutes to recite. Although, if you were awed by his beauty, as I assume anyone would be, it might a little bit longer. And his replies were always rather short and sometimes he had none at all. Yet sometimes you were over there for _hours_. And then I asked myself what you could be doing. And it hit me. You couldn't be just talking, after all. A mere servant wouldn't be able to capture his attention by _talking_, even if she hadn't been a servant all her life. He would become utterly bored with the chatter."

"But we were only-" I started, but she interrupted me.

"You had to be doing something that he absolutely loved, something that wouldn't let him send you away. So you made him happy in the greatest way possible. You served him sex. Ironic, isn't it, that I sent you to make him fall in love with you but he instead falls victim to your alluring trap? Yet I feel so betrayed. Why would you do this to me Bella?" She was now standing right in front of me and she reached down to grab my chin between her thumb and index finger, her eyes turning black. "You were pleasing him with sex, weren't you, you little whore?"

"No, I wasn't," I pleaded, my eyes brimming with tears as her nails dug into my flesh and a light trail of blood trickled down my chin.

"Are you a virgin? Answer me honestly."

"I never had sex with-"

"Are you a virgin?!" She half-screamed, and although I could try to say that I hadn't ever had sex with Edward, I couldn't lie to her direct question.

"No," I breathed. A second later, something hard slapped me across the face. I realized that it was my lady's hand and that her nails had left scars across my face.

"You little liar," she seethed in my face. "You _did_ have sex with Edward. Never deny the truth. Now out!" She pointed towards the door and I scurried out, almost tripping over my dress in the process. I started to cry as I ran up the stairs and toward the wing that hosted my chambers. Angela was there for me once again.

X X X X X X X

The days passed and I had yet to see Miss Tanya again, though I supposed that was a good thing. My scars were starting to fade, which was another plus as well. But that was where the positive things stopped. My food was becoming more and more scarce and my stomach thinner; the meat on my bones barely there. The small amounts of water I got were just barely enough for me to feel somewhat energized and I was scared that this would be my future. I had to get out, though I had nowhere to go.

One day, while Angela was around the house doing her chores, I decided to help her scrub the floors while I discussed my thoughts with her.

"Don't leave," she begged. "The Lady will calm down and things will go back to normal. Just give it time. You'll see." She seemed to doubt her own words, which didn't help persuade me to stay.

By Thursday night, my decision was made. Everything I owned was all in one movable place and I was ready to go. No one knew of my plans but Angela, who thought that I was going to stay and the stars were bright enough for me to see outside. It was perfect.

I opened the window from my chambers and dropped my single trunk to the ground. I then swung one leg over the window ledge and silently slipped after.

**That…wasn't as great as I thought it would be, though hopefully you didn't think it was too horrible. My friend Lia recently pointed out to me that this story would get absolutely boring if I didn't put romance in there soon, so I ask you to please hang on with me. B/E action will be coming soon. Thank you.**

**My update might be a little late again, though hopefully not as late as this one since I have the rough idea for the next chapter. However, reviews inspired me to write faster. =D**


	12. Status Update First Part of Ch 12

**OH MY GOSH!!! I'm sooooooo sorry for not updating at all since the spring!! I know how the little fan base has been dwindling as my inspiration goes with it, and I haven't touched anything in forever. I know that I warned that I might be gone a little while, but I definitely didn't prepare anyone for this. I really hope you haven't all completely left, and that you'll wait until my writing mind has gotten back on track. I've only written a few pages for a short collection of encounters I call "Boy And Girl", which only came out because of my own actions and emotions. I'm so sorry!!**

**Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the writing mode soon so that I can give you all a big Christmas present. But for now, I can only hope you'll be slightly satisfied with this.**

**I am giving you a part of my new chapter, which is OK, but the part I'm working on right now is turning out like sh!t, so I'd love your support and hope you like what I have so far.**

**Preview of Chapter 12:**

My feet made a soft _thud_ as I hit the ground, and luckily I hadn't hurt myself, except for a small scrape on my arm left by the generous wall. My trunk hadn't popped open, which was good, and the soft black fabric that covered it didn't seem to have been damaged either.

A few drops of dew that had already settled this early in the morning landed on my feet, making a few spots wet and cold. They made my shoes slightly wet, too, and I could feel the liquid beneath my feet as I walked.

The moon cast a slight glow over everything as I drug my trunk on the side of the path, wandering the opposite direction of the duke's estates. The grass looked dark green as I walked, instead of black, as the grass in the shadows seemed to be. The sacred flowers in the grass seemed to have a glow about them, too, and the trees shined at the very tip. But other than that, the natural light made everything seem so sinister. Houses that I passed by were lit only by the moon and stars, making most of it look dark, yet some portion of it somehow light, as if still reminding you that it was there, watching you. Even certain bushes on the side of the path didn't seem to be there until I ran into them, suppressing a scream as they brushed my side. And then, sometimes I would think that I would hear a sound in the trees, as if someone was there, waiting for something to happen, though all I could see was darkness, suffocating me. It made me feel like one of those hopeless girls in fairytales and books that my mother would read me when I was little. Except one little thing was different for me here – there was no shining knight in armor to save me. I was all alone.

As this thought came over me, I started to think about my decision to run away. Truthfully, it hadn't been too well thought out – I just figured that I was going to run away from all my problems and…what? Face even bigger ones? That would be all I was doing. I had walked away from my life, where even though there were problems, there were good spots in my life, to nothing. Out here, I had no shelter, a little bit of money, a trunk full of sentimental belongings, and a huge world to find myself in. Compared to all of that, going back to Miss Tanya's seemed like the best thing in the world to do. But someone had to have noticed that I was gone already, and if I came back, there would be huge punishment to pay – both mentally and physically. I had to keep going on.

When it seemed like I had walked for hours and the sun was breaking over the horizon, I pulled an old cloak out of the trunk I had been dragging behind me and walked toward the edge of the trees to find a comfortable spot of soft dirt. Nothing looked or felt too promising, of course, but after finding the best spot I could, I curled myself up against the trunk of a tree and spread the cloak over me. My eyelids immediately started to droop and within a minute, I was asleep.

X X X X X X X

Someone was coughing; a loud, wheezing cough. It sounded horrible to me, and I wanted to make sure whoever was coughing was okay, and right as I was about to do so, my ribs started to ache and my throat felt like it had been scratched at by the claws of a dragon. _I_ was the one coughing. My eyelids blinked open to find an older woman watching me worriedly and then her face lifted slightly into an expression of relief.

"Oh, thank the Lord. Dear, we were afraid you would be deathly ill with all of the coughing you did while you were asleep. You were fidgeting too and you seemed to be trying to get out of something. Are you okay? How do you feel? Do you hurt? Do you think you might have come down with something?"

I ignored all of her questions and instead tried to sit up, but my head started to pound and the room was out of focus. The woman pushed me back down and I turned my head to look at my surroundings.

"Where am I?" I croaked out.

"Oh, you poor thing, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. My name is Anna, and my husband there is Noah." She gestured toward a tall, gangly man in a corner of the room. He was stirring something over the fire in a way that was a tiny bit old-fashioned and I looked at him curiously.

"Soup," he answered my un-asked question in a deep voice that seemed to come from the pits of the earth. I liked it, though. It was comforting somehow. I leaned back and smiled a small smile before looking back at Anna, who had gone to stand by her husband near the fire. She was a kind-looking woman. She wasn't tall by any means, but she wasn't short either. Her gray-brown hair had streaks of faded red in it and it was pulled into a long braid that winded down to about halfway down her waist. She was skinny too – the only stature that she had in common with Noah. He looked well-mannered as well, but there was some kind of seriousness in his expression that made him look more reserved than incredibly kind. His face was long and thin, just like the rest of his features, and a short bunch of dark hairs sat atop his head. They looked perfect together, and I smiled at the image.

A few minutes later, the soup was ready, and we all sat at the table and ate in quiet silence before I asked them how I had come to be in their home.

"Noah was going into the shop to open for the day and heard a faint whine, or perhaps it was a cry of some sort, so he went to investigate and found you, mumbling, curled under a tree with just a flimsy cloak over your small body, so he brought you back here to make sure nothing happened to you. You've been asleep for the past few hours, so we had our son Aaron watch the shop, along with our young daughter Rebeka so that she wouldn't wake you." Anna looked at me with a small smile after she had explained everything and I gave a smile of appreciation back. Noah had only been nodding and making small noises of agreement between bites and I gathered that he wasn't one for talking.

After I finished with my soup, I walked over to the basin and started to wash my bowl and spoon, as well as a few of the other dirty dishes at the bottom until I heard Anna call, "Bella, you don't need to do that, dear. You're our guest."

My fingers stopped in their position and I was frozen for a moment before I slowly turned my head to look at Anna. "How do you know my name?"


End file.
